


The Mystery of Loving the Dark

by Camk475



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Dancing, Drama & Romance, Flashbacks, Hurt/Comfort, Meet the Family, Past Torture, Secret Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-18
Updated: 2021-02-02
Packaged: 2021-03-16 01:01:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 29,198
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28822635
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Camk475/pseuds/Camk475
Summary: Hermione has been keeping a secret, one that if revealed could put not only her life in danger but threaten the man she loves.
Relationships: Hermione Granger/Severus Snape
Comments: 15
Kudos: 111





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Please Review and let me know what you think. I'm planning on uploading a new chapter every 4 days.  
> Also I'm not sure what tags I should add so let me know if you have any idea.  
> If you have any Hermione/Severus one-shot prompts let me know.
> 
> Warning I also did not have a beta reader.

Hermione Granger was in utter disbelief by how stupid men could be. Correction. How ignorant old ministry officials could be when it came to hassling and being obnoxious to women. 

It was one of the ministry’s new charity balls. Where the elite and wealthy bid on complete nonsense all in the name of a good cause. This one is in the name of St. Mungo's to help supply the long term patients that suffered during the war. Even though the war finished five years ago, it still left damage in its wake. After the war had ended, Hermione returned to Hogwarts to complete her NEWTs. Graduating with some of the highest scores Hogwarts had ever seen, she was offered many job offers. She declined all of them and decided to pursue her love of academics, specifically arithmancy. She ended up developing a matrix that helped in the development of new charms. Famously, she developed a charm that could reverse the lasting effects of the cruciatus curse on the cortex in the brain. Unfortunately it couldn’t bring back one’s memories but it did allow for the retention of new ones. She made quick work on using it on the Longbottom's with much success. Ever since then she has worked some free lance in the ministry’s developmental department but for the most part has been working independently. Nonetheless her contributions to St. Mungo had made it essential for her appearance at this charity. Even if she could she wouldn’t be able to avoid this function, what with her celebrity status as one of the golden trio. The other two-thirds were also present, currently off amongst the masses themselves. It was such a shame too, the floo networks were less than 100 feet from her current position. The function was being held at the atrium. The fountain was charmed to change to various hues. The room was alight from the reflective windows that surrounded the entrance to the ministry. 

Hermione’s hair remained down in curls that cascaded across her shoulders and down her back. She wore a spaghetti strap, v-neck red dress that slowly faded to black as the fabric reached the ground. Her bodice was fitted perfectly to her waist as the bottom lightly cascaded down to the floor around her. Her dress had a slit up her thigh that showed some skin but was not scandalous in design. She looked beautiful in her formal attire. In a simple elegance that men were drawn to. And of course with her being dateless unlike her friends, it drew out all of the elderly men who she was currently stuck talking to. At first they were discussing other modifications to what she refers as to her Regenerate spell. Now she is not even following the conversation. She has tried to find an excuse to leave several times however, these three men just were not seeming to get the hint.

She just stood there with an impassive face as she brought her champagne glass to her lips and wished that the drink would be stronger if she were to make it through the night. Just as she began to contemplate a public display of knocking these men unconscious, a shadow descended over them as a presence stepped up behind her. 

The men that were talking to her stopped their speech in apprehension of the newcomer. 

“I do not believe that Mrs. Granger wishes to be bored on the proper application of the Djingo project gentleman,” came the deep voice of one Severus Snape. At his sudden exclamation Hermione turned to look at him. He was dressed in his signature black and looked as intimidating as ever. His height looming over her. A familiar scowl present on the edges of his mouth. Nonetheless, he looked sharp despite his rough edges. 

“And her politeness prevents her from reminding you that dancing is an expectation at this function that you all seem to have neglect. Nonetheless, I am willing to remedy this situation. If you may, Miss. Granger.” Snape continued without interruption and ended with his hand outstretched to her.

Hermione quickly realized what he was asking and took his hand. Taking the opportunity to escape her unwelcomed company. He then proceeded to guide her to the center of the room where various individuals were dancing with their partners. With her hand remaining in his hand he pulled her close, her covered breasts slightly touching his chest. They were so close they could feel the rise and fall of each other's chests against their own as they both breathed. He placed his other hand on her waist as she put her hand on his shoulder. Holding her firm against him in a way that was neither uncomfortable or unwanted. Despite his height he had no difficulty maintaining eye contact with her as they began to waltz. 

“I am surprised to see you here. This isn’t the type of function where your presence is normally detected,” Hermione said, locking eyes with her partner as he took the lead. Her dress trailing behind her as she moved across the floor. 

“Indeed, however, the Headmaster can be quite persuasive,” Severus replied in an impassive tone. His eyes were guarded but not in their usual coldness. His expression was neutral as he was in close proximity with Hermione.

“And your reason for dancing with me?” Hermione inquired.

“Again the Headmaster, who is quite preoccupied with Minerva while your discomfort became quite apparent,” He replied coolly.

“And yet you were the one to ask me to dance and not any other,” Hermione asked with a raised head.

“Then they were a fool to waste such an opportunity,” Severus said with an arch of a brow. Hermione felt the air shift around her as Severus turned the pair in another direction. 

“How so?” Hermione asked puzzled.

“Well rumor has it you are quite sought after in the experimental department.” Severus said in more of a statement rather than a question. 

“Could your inquiry be for personal reasons?”

“Possibly. If you could be of use.” Severus stated without offence. “Otherwise you would just be wasting my time. But I am curious if your reputation precedes you. If so then any male just wasted an opportunity to hold your attention this evening.

“Yet you seem to be holding mine quite well,” Hermione said as she was swept into another direction across the floor. For a man not notably comfortable in human company he held no stiffness as he guided her and held her closely.

Across the floor Ginny Weasley was making her way to her fiancé, Harry Potter who had escaped the onslaught of people and was having some refreshments. Her dress was haltered at the top with a light purple mesh covering a silver bodice, with flowers decaling the gown and ornating her hair. She was distracted by the couple dancing across the room. Hermione was dancing with Snape. Reclusive bat of the dungeons and her best friend were together. In quite a close proximity. They were staring intently at one another even when one spoke. They moved in sync with one another as they swirled around the dance floor without hesitation. Ginny just couldn’t seem to take her eyes off of them. She wasn’t the only person. Others were staring and even a few were whispering to those closest to them. And she didn’t blame them. It was an odd sight to behold. It was well known that Snape didn’t attend functions like this. He wasn’t a fan of socializing and being in the public. And to see him dancing as well with Hermione of all people was quite peculiar. 

“Is that Hermione dancing with Snape?” Ginny asked confused as she spoke to Harry. She was unsure if the punch was stronger then she realized and she was seeing things. 

“It seems so,” Harry replied. He didn’t seem overly concerned over his best female friend dancing with their previous professor. However, after the war ended and Snape’s role was revealed he seemed to have developed a sense of respect for him. He was even deemed a war hero. That didn’t change the fact that he was still a git though.

“Didn’t you say he was out of the country?” Ginny asked, still unsure of what was happening.

“Last I heard from the Minister. But clearly he is back.” Harry replied.

“Indeed. But that doesn't explain why he is dancing with Hermione.”

“Who knows. But they do seem rather engaged with one another don’t they,” Harry pointed out.

“Yes they do,” Ginny said looking at the pair quite pensively. Causing Harry to look at her suspiciously before giving a sudden laugh.

“Come off it Gin it’s just a dance not a marriage proposal,” Harry said dismissively as he removed his glasses to clean them. To ensure he could see properly. 

Across the room Hermione and Severus continued to dance. Severus led her in direct movements. The music guiding them _I was made for loving you, Even though we may be hopeless hearts just passing through, Every bone screaming, I don't know what we should do, All I know is, darling, I was made for loving you._ After the music ended, Severus took a step back and released his grasp. He slightly bowed his head then quickly stalked out of the room. Hermione was left standing in the middle of the dance floor as couples twirled around her. She decided to make her way off to the side before another man could hassle her for a dance. When she made it off to the side she was ambushed by none other than Ginny Weasley.

“What were you doing with Snape?” Ginny asked suspiciously, as she meddled with her best friend.

“He was just rescuing me from some persistent members of the Wizengamot,” Hermione said.

“Well it looked like some intense eye fucking from where I was standing. Or where anyone was standing for that matter,” Ginny stated very bluntly causing Hermione to shake her head in disagreement with a weary look in her eyes.

“We weren't eye…”

“Well you two seemed quite engaged with one another,” Ginny continued.

“We were talking about work.”

“And that eye contact?” Ginny asked, with a raised brow as she continued to draw her own conclusions.

“He’s a legilimens. It can’t be helped. His eyes have developed to be narrow and focused for years now. Even though he wasn’t trying to navigate my mind, his eyes have been accumed to it. Plus he has been an Occulemns for like 20 years now. His shields also block out his emotions which prevent his eyes from dilating. So it makes his eyes seem more reflective and adds to the intensity by maybe 13% or is it 33%,” Hermione explained while musing herself.

“Okay enough with the class lesson.”

“Ginny,” Hermione sighed in exasperation. “He danced with me because Dumbledore was occupied with McGonagall and if he danced at least once he was able to leave. You are reading too much into this. He was simply using me as an escape route. Plus he wanted to know if my work could be of any use to his.”

“Your right, as usual,” Ginny signed dejectedly. Then she started to laugh “Plus imagine how ridiculous the thought of you and Snape together is.”

“Completely ridiculous,” Hermione said with a small smile. While the light in her eyes diminished as she thought about that statement.

After another 10 minutes of socializing, Hermione decided to get some air and to escape the crowds and endless chatter. She walked to a secluded corner, hidden under an alcove and followed the small hallway to an indoor greenhouse. It was late at night that nobody would be working there. It was used to hold some of the more rare and exotic herbology ingredients. Nobody would bother to come here tonight. Most people don’t know that this section even exists unless their department works with the study of the ingredients or if they just happen to stumble on this hidden gem. Greenery covered the walls in vines and leaves and flora flourished. It was silent which suited her just fine. It gave her a moment of clarity. She found a railing that overlooked a small pond and sighed and she leaned against it. Her head bowed in between her arms as she closed her eyes. Relaxing the tension in her body. Letting the anxiety and stress flow threw her. 

“You look absolutely stunning,” came a deep voice behind her. Causing Hermione to lift her head and smile. She slowly stood up and turned around. Coming face to face with Severus Snape. He was so close that if she moved her hand she would have made contact with the sleeve of his robes. She didn’t hear him sneak up behind her. She never did. 

He had a smirk on his face as he took in the sight in front of him. Her appearance was simply radiant. She always looked beautiful. But tonight she looked heavenly. It only took a few seconds before Hermione came to her senses and lifted her head up nearly at the same time as his head leaned down so that their lips connected. He reacted almost instantly opening his mouth to taste her. Simply enjoying the feel of each other as their mouths tasted and explored each other. Grabbing hold of her waist to pull her closer to his chest. Time didn’t slow as they kissed. Instead it sped up. It was fast, always moving, hurried and rushed. Heat grew between them as they tried to breathe without disconnecting. They tried to mold themselves into each other. As if they could be closer together then they already were. They held onto each other never wanting to never let go. They moved in a familiar dance. Only this time they led each other. 

When the need to breathe became too strong, Hermione pulled away breathing deeply as her hands held unto his shoulders tightly as she struggled both to breathe and stand up right. “2 months has been two long,” she whispered once she regained her composure.

“Dolohov has been taken care of,” Severus stated quietly while he too composed himself. He still held her firmly not wanting to separate so soon after being reunited. “One down, one to go.” Once Dolohov's presence was made aware of, the Minister sent Severus out of the country to handle the situation discreetly. It wasn’t only beneficial for the Auror department for him to disappear. But for Severus and Hermione as well, who Dolohov had a personal vendetta against. 

“I didn’t think you would be back so soon,” Hermione said looking up to meet his eyes. Her eyes shone with the unasked question. He indicated in his messages that he wouldn’t be returning for another week or so. However, as luck would have it. Severus was able to quickly and efficiently silence the other man permanently.

“I arrived at Hogwarts this morning to drop some potions off at the infirmary. Of course Dumbledore decided that I was to arrive here this evening instead of returning home. Which seems to have worked out in my favor,” Severus explained. 

“You shouldn’t have danced with me,” Hermione said after a moment of clarity. They both knew it was risky to be seen in such a way. Especially since it was so uncharacteristic of him to do so.

“I couldn’t resist,” Severus admitted. He has never had a chance to dance with her, not till now. He wasn’t sure if he would ever get the chance again. “Besides, luckily I was able to make Dumbledore believe he was the one to suggest that I should rescue you.”

“Do you think he knows?” Hermione asked with worry as she gently bit her lip.

“If anything he is planning to set us up himself, otherwise we should be safe,” Severus said reassuringly. He was confident in his words as well as his actions. He wouldn’t have acted as he did if he had any doubt.

“Ginny was asking questions. I was able to deter her. But I don’t think we should risk this kind of thing again. At least not so publicly,” Hermione said decidingly. Even though she enjoyed it in more than words could describe. The logical part of her overridden her heart's desire. Their safety had to come first over their love. At least for now.

“You make it seem like I am your dirty little secret,” Severus said teasingly with a smirk even though he knew just as well as she did what was at stake if their relationship was revealed.

“I’m not ashamed of you Severus. But I can’t deny that I don't enjoy having you all to myself,” Hermione said looking up to him shyly causing him to smirk in enjoyment. But her face became serious again when she said “I just hate having to pretend all of the time.”

“I know,” Severus sighed. He might enjoy living his life as it was the epitome of privacy. He, however, didn't wish for her to hold herself back from those she cared for on his behalf. But she did. And soon she will no longer have any reason to except for her own fears and insecurities. “Once this is over we can reveal ourselves to everyone. We will have nothing to hide. And no one to fear. We will be free,” he said cupping her face in his hands as he stared deeply into her eyes. She nodded in agreement to his silent promise. He gently kissed her forehead and brought her close into his embrace. As he held her in comfort. Seeking his own from her as well. 

“Once I’ve killed my father.”


	2. Chapter 2

It was a cold basement. 

The walls were made of concrete.

The room was damp. 

Pipes hung from the ceiling, sticking out in odd angels.

Water dripped every few seconds resulting in a pitter patter that never ended.

Darkness was the only sight legible. 

The only sound was hungry rats scurrying across the floor. 

The smell of copper was strong from years of dried blood.

In the middle of the room, a figure was hung by his wrists. He was only clad in a pair of ripped up trousers. His lean torso was exposed. His ribs were prominent. His skin was pale in comparison to the dry blood that flowed down his ripped back. The boy had long and dark hair that was limp against his bowed head. The boy was only fourteen or fifteen. 

His name was Severus Snape. He was no stranger to the horror of the basement in his own house. It has been for as long as he could remember a place for pain and punishment. The house was small and dingy from the years of use. Dark and depressing. But the basement held an electricity in the air that made him shiver whenever he entered it. Not like he had a choice. If he had his way he would have burned the house down long ago if only he had somewhere else to go. 

Severus lifted his head up with whatever strength he could muster. It was still fuzzy from the blow that knocked him unconscious. He looked up to the door across from him. Hearing the door unlock by the sound of metallic clicking. The light from the outside lightly illuminated a patch on the ground. Showing the outline of a man in the entryway .

He flicked on a light switch. Illuminating the room in a dim yellowish hue.

Tall and bulky from years of working in the mines Tobias Snape’s stature was intimidating. His intimidation didn’t lay in only his size. No, his size was more laughable with his staggering when he was constantly under the influence of the bottle. But that bottle took away any of his reasoning. Even if he wasn’t drunk he would still be in this same position with the same intent. Only he probably would have killed his son by now.

It was no surprise who the man was. Who else could it possibly be. Who else could be this sadistic.

Severus looked at the belt that Tobias held in his hands. Calloused fingers gripping the leather tightly. He didn't even feel scared at the anticipation. It was a punishment that he has experienced many times before. A routine he was quite familiar with.

His screams echoed throughout the room. Only to be cut off by the barricading door. 

In the kitchen sat a frail witch at the kitchen table. The only sound was her sobbing into her hands. For if she didn’t cry only silence could remain. And when that part of the house was quiet only pain remained. 

* * *

Those days have long since passed. Severus was no longer a child. He was in his 40’s now but that never erased 20 years of pain. Years of his father’s drunken breath, and the snap of a belt as his arms were nearly pulled out of their sockets. He wasn’t the only child to grace the halls of Hogwarts while being abused. But he in some ways had it worse than others. His father wasn’t a wizard like his son. One of the reasons he despised him so much. No, the reason he truly hated Severus was for the sole purpose that he was born. His presence haunted him for only reasons he could explain. So in return Tobias made it his mission to ruin his son, in any form that he could muster. In the beginning he was blinded by a drunken rage. But as Severus grew so did Tobias’ hunger for abuse. He realized he enjoyed the sight of pain. Even though his son was able to escape his grasp. He kept track of him. Knowing where he was working, who he was involved with at all times. There was nothing he couldn’t find out from a well paid informant. Though the information became scarce in the later years, as Severus began to cover his tracks. It was enough for Tobias to always remain in control while he was cascaded to be left in the shadows. In a way Tobias needed his son. His son was his outlet. A way to starve off the itch. The constant need to paint the skin in blood. Once Severus was out of the house and hidden away in the magical world he found that he could cause pain to others. The need to cause pain was too strong. It became a necessity. An addiction. Others who responded much more in his favour then Severus; who learned to grit his teeth and simply take it. Others whose blood would flow from unblemished skin. Screams that sounded like a symphony. 

The days after his punishments were bearable for Severus. His mother, when she had the strength, would help nurse him to the best of her abilities. It wasn’t much for she was always in a similar state as her son. He long since learned to hide his pain. Found a way to manage it on his own. In a way it prepared him for when he joined the Dark Lord. If he could handle his father’s temper for 18 years then he could surely handle the Dark Lord’s anger once or twice a month. Even though he reigned for only a couple of years the pain he left behind was excruciating. His cruelty was experienced most by his own followers. However, Severus survived, just barely. His body was a testament of his strength. The wounds healed leaving behind only scars. 

Pale silvery one, red raised ones, and all in between. Hermione couldn’t help but stare at them as Severus' chest rose and fell with each breath as he slept. His arm was raised above his head, exposing his naked torso. Severus was usually an early riser. But after last night's activities he must have been tired out. And Hermione couldn’t blame him. She surely was and slept soundly through the night. She still felt the pleasant ache in between her legs from his passion. After visiting the ministry function, it was surprisingly easy for the pair to disappear without being seen. Once they arrived back at Severus' house, their mouths quickly reclaimed each other. There was time to be soft and gentle later but in that moment as their passion ran wild, they were desperate to cling onto the other. Throwing clothes in their wake. Backs scraped against the wall. They were lucky they didn’t break the bed in their quest to feel each other's heat. They came together in a surge of pleasure. There was a mess left in their wake that they would have to deal with later. Clothes and items swept onto the floor when Severus lifted her onto the side table so that they were at an equal height. For easier access. Bruises cover the others necks and collarbones. And from the soreness Hermione was feeling she wouldn’t be surprised if there were bruises shaped as his fingers on her hips. The thought that she was guilty of liking since they left her in a shivering anticipation. All things that would need to be covered. But right now Hermione was content to lay on her side just staring at Severus. His body was littered with scars. But she didn’t mind. It didn’t dissuade her from wanting to stare at him for hours on end. 

“How long have you been awake?” Severus asked with a voice dry and tired from sleep, while his eyes remained closed.

“Not long,” Hermione signed, burrowing her head more into her pillow. She kept her eyes on him following his chest rising and falling to the way he skin wraps around his ribs. 

“Your staring,” Severus murmured.

“It’s romantic,” Hermione huffed indigently as Severus attempted to ruin her fun.

“It’s creepy,” Severus said without any venom as he opened his eyes and turned his head to look at his companion. He raised a brow as he watched her take him in. Even with his eyes closed he could feel her eyes leave a blaze across his skin. But now he wanted to know what all of the fuss was. Her hair was sprawled around her in a fine line that narrowed between either a curly mess or a halo. The sheets were dragged up along her torso that reminded him that she was indeed naked under them. Her eyes drew patterns across his skin. Once he realized what she was looking at he sighed in resignation. It wasn’t a pleasant sight to behold. But it was an even more unpleasant conversation. He always made it a priority to hide this part of himself from others. But he didn’t want to hide from her. They never really addressed it though. He was prepared to discuss this with her, when they first became intimate but she never asked. She was obviously aware that they were from his years as a spy amongst the Death Eaters. She was no fool and she has been aware of his role as a spy ever since she was fifteen. She could easily piece together the puzzle that his scars left behind. She could also tell that many of them were decades old and that they most likely had stemmed from his more than dismal childhood. He never gave too much detail of his years before Hogwarts or his father but none of them were kind. She knew exactly what he meant when he revealed how much of a threat his father was, without him needed to explain why. The need for secrecy apparent by the legacy left on his body. But she never looked in disgust at his scars. And that was a curious thing to him. Hermione was the one to always ask questions. But the one time he was expecting her to do so, she surprised him. 

“Why weren't you shocked?” Severus asked.

  
“By what?” Hermione asked, raising her head to look at him.

“The first time..”

“I may have been a virgin the first time we got together but that doesn’t mean I didn’t know the mechanics of sex,” Hermione said mirthlessly. Causing Severus to give a wry laugh.

“I’m not talking about that. I’m talking about my scars.” That caused Hermione to crease her brow in a frown as she pensieved over the question. She never really gave it thought to her feelings over his blemished flesh. She had her own scars, who was she to judge him based on his? 

“I wasn’t bothered by them. I was bothered that you had them. But not bothered by them. They are a part of you.” Hermione said simply and sincerely. She moved her hand and began to brush her finger tip tracing the lines. Moving from his ribs to the ones closest to his heart. Severus gave a content sign and gently grabbed her wrist and brought it up to his mouth lightly pressing his lips to her fingers. As if in gratitude for her healing touch. 

“I figured you would have them memorized by now,” Severus said as she shifted closer to him and began to pepper feather light kisses on to every scar she could reach. 

“I’m taking my time,” Hermione replied. “Do you remember how you got them?” Hermione asked looking up at him from her position of being sprawled out on him. 

“Everyone,” Severus said softly.

“How did you get this one?” Hermione asked as she kissed a puckered scar in the middle of his rib cage.

“Emergency surgery. I had a punctured lung.” 

Hermione shifted down to his abdomen right where his diaphragm would be. “And this one?”

“Rabastan Lestrange. My first year as a death eater,” Severus said closing his eyes to give over to the sensations. Her lips were light as moisture was left in their wake. 

Hermione moved even lower to his hip bone barely covered by the bedding. “Here?”

“Cut on a reef when I was collecting some rare ingredients,” Severus answered, snapping his eyes open. He then swiftly drew her up his body so that his mouth could reach hers. Their lips barely moved as he mainly held her close to him. Holding the kiss as long as possible. He then rolled them over so that Hermione was on her back with Severus leaning over her.

“And what about this one?” Severus asked as he began to return the favor by kissing a pale silvery scar on her shoulder. 

“Stray hex from a snatcher.” Hermione, said amused by his antics. Hemione didn’t have many scars. Her two most noticeable ones were two stories that Severus was quite familiar with. Her left arm held the word  _ mudblood _ carved into her skin, from her brief time at Malfoy Manor with Bellatrix Lestrange. The other a purple scar that looked as though a knife was dragged along her torso ending at her hip. She survived a curse from Dolohov, a curse that Dolohov used to mark his victims. She survived it though, despite all odds. Nonetheless, Dolohov was displeased with this information and attempted to trace her with the magical residue from his curse. Luckily it was Severus all of those years ago that healed it and was able to block the trace on her. 

“Hmm and the one right below the back of your knee?” Severus whispered in her ear, as he moved his hand along her body, down her thigh, until his hand reached the part of his inquiry. 

“I fell out of a tree when I was a kid,” Hermione moaned as his other hand began to roam her body. As if he didn’t get enough of her last night. Clearly he wanted a repeat performance. Him being out of the country for so long left the pair craving the other affections more so than they expected. 


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This Chapter will seem almost like a filler in the way it doesn't really add to the action or suspense. But there is information in this one that adds to character development, context, and eventually the plot.  
> Please Enjoy and Comment.  
> I plan on uploading the next chapter on Saturday.

After the war, Hermione went to Australia to retrieve and return her parent’s memories. They were obviously shocked. Their shock, however, quickly turned to fury at their daughter’s betrayal and isolation of privacy. After a month of awkward tensions and heightened emotions, the three were finally able to sit down and talk. Hermione was able to explain everything to her parents. Everything about the war, her time at Malfoy Manor, and even all of the things she had neglected to tell them over the years about her time at Hogwarts. After hours filled with conversation, the family was able to make peace once the tears dried. It still took a couple of months for everything to return to normal between the family. But slowly they were able to repair the broken rift. The Grangers, wanting to not be parted from their daughter any more than they already had, returned to England and even settled back into their old house. Hermione kept the house when she gave her parents new identities, after the war ended she even restored it to the best of her abilities so that everything was placed back in its rightful place. 

It was Wednesday evening when Hermione decided to drop in to visit her parents. The house was simple in it’s blue and grey tones. With white trim surrounding the windows. A soft light was peeking out through the curtains. The house was hidden in the shade of an oak tree that was situated on the front lawn. The porch held an old swinging bench. That Hermione used to spend hours reading on as a child while her parents worked in the garden.

As Hermione walked up the steps leading to the door. Her boots crunched on the hardened snow leaving barely recognizable footprints behind. She took a deep breath before she knocked. She decided years ago when she first moved out that whenever she should visit she would always knock. Instead of apparating into what is no longer her home.

A woman with dark brown hair pulled up into a loose ponytail opened the door. Her face was tanned, with the beginnings of wrinkles forming around her warm smile. She was shocked by her guest but quickly broke into a smile as she took her daughter into her embrace.

“Hermione!” Helena Granger exclaimed.

“Hi mom,” Hermione sighed in relief as she relished in her mother’s hold. 

“David, Hermione is here,” Helena shouted into the house.

“I heard you the first time women,” A voice carried out. Hermione immediately recognized her father’s voice. 

“Your father is obsessed with the Manchesters. I swear he would rather be married to them than me,” Helena said as she cupped her daughter's face and examined the women in front of her. Always searching to see what has changed with age. Even though she saw her daughter only a few weeks ago. 

“I heard that!” David shouted in response.

“You were supposed to,” Helena shouted back to her husband.

“What are you doing here?” Helena asked as the two made their way into the interior of the house. Only pausing as Hermione removed her boots and coat to leave them at the foyer. 

“Can’t a daughter just surprise her loving parents?” Hermione asked.

“Of course she can. Where is my grandchild?” Helena asked looking around as if Hermione was hiding him behind her.

“You do know that just because he is my godson that doesn’t mean he can be considered your grandchild,” Hermione explained with a meaningful look.

“Nonetheless where is my Teddy bear?” Helena continued.

“Probably at home with his parents.”

After the war, Remus Lupin decided he wanted to work part time in order to watch his son while Tonks was busy at work with the Auror department rounding up the rest of Voldemort’s supporters. He ended up working at this little bookshop in the muggle world while the werewolf laws in the ministry were under review. He, however, enjoyed the shop and the flexible hours. It ended up suiting his lifestyle just fine. It wasn’t until Hermione visited her mother’s bookshop one day and ran right into Remus that the pair even realized what was happening. It was quite a shock for the pair but they moved in stride. Hermione and Remus always found that they had much in common with the other. But with Remus working with her mother it just added to the list of things the pair could talk about. The three of them found the situation to be hilarious. Now that Helena Granger is aware of Remus' magical affiliation, she always ensures that he has the days leading up to and after the full moon off. She also has been lenient with Remus when he first brought his son to the store. But now she insists that he brings his son every time he is to work. Hermione’s mother has taken it upon herself to assume the role of his other grandmother since Remus’ parents are long since deceased. It wasn’t uncommon for Lupin to come to the Granger’s for dinner once a month. Even Tonks enjoyed the conversation with Hermione’s father, what with her own father having perished during the war. They became an extended family, even though they weren’t related. 

“Well next time you see him, you be sure to remind him that I am always willing to watch him for the night,” Helena insisted.

“I’m sure he has already gotten the message from you a hundred times. But I'll be sure to mention to Remus if he ever goes missing that you’ve probably kidnapped him.”

“It’s not my fault that he is just the sweetest and most adorable boy that has ever lived.”

“Well his clumsiness is something to be desired,” David Granger said from his seat on the couch as Hermione and her mother approached him. He placed the remote down after he turned the t.v off. He had curly light brown hair, that his daughter clearly inherited from him. He had on a pair of glasses as he read the paper. His eyesight not being what it once was. 

“He gets that from his mother. The first time I met her she was tripping over an umbrella stand with bright pink hair,” Hermione said reminiscing about those days in Grimmauld place.

“Is Teddy still sporting his mother's hair?” David asked. He too enjoyed the boy’s presence, however, it was difficult to take him out in public when his hair was bright pink.

“No he has been sticking with blue lately,” Hermione said, understanding her parents' plight. Teddy Lupin was a joy to all and the perfect combination of his parents. He inherited his mother’s metamorphmagus ability to the relief of his father. He often sported various colourful hair shades, as he ran around with an abundance of energy. Often tripping and breaking anything in his path. He, however, was easily calmed with a good book. 

“Do you want anything to drink?” Helena asked as she took a seat next to her husband. Hermione took a seat across from them in a single armchair.

“No, I'm good.”

“How was that ball of yours last weekend?” Helena asked as she remembered Hermione’s anguish over trying to find an appropriate dress for the occasion.

“It was a charity function, not a ball but it was fine. You know how these functions go. It is all about the politics rather than the actual charity,” Hermione said with disdain. Causing her father to snort.

“Of course it was.”

“Oh, you're still coming to the Granger family dinner, right? It’s on the 21st. If you're not then you are going to have to tell your Grandfather why yourself. You know he misses you,” Helena said. Hermione’s grandfather was a military doctor in his youth. He aged with hard lines. But despite his impressive demeanour, his personality was as if a Teddy bear came to life. He was so kind and humorous. It made you often wonder if he developed a second personality after the war. He had this ability to make anyone feel like a child coming in from the cold only to receive a cup of cocoa. He was a warm paternal figure to every member of the family.

“Actually that’s what I wanted to talk to you guys about. Who else is going to be there?” Hermione asked curiously as she tried to ease herself into the conversation she was dreading. 

“Just your Grandparents, your uncle Frank, then your aunt Sarah and uncle John. Oh, Sarah said that your cousin Cecilia was going to be coming as well. She was able to take time off of work. It's been at least two years since we have all been together,” Helena said with joy. They had a small family but a loved one. In fact, Hermione’s grandparents were over the day she received her Hogwarts letter. Normally only the parents are informed when the child is magical. However, her grandparents were just so excited that in the next hour they called up her aunt and uncles to tell them the exciting news. 

“That's kind of what I wanted to talk to you guys about,” Hermione said, wiggling her hands. “I was planning on bringing a plus one. This guy I’ve been seeing.”

“Man? What Man? As in a boyfriend?” David said, suddenly sitting up straighter becoming more engrossed in the conversation. A slight tremor of fear laced his voice. Even though his daughter was well in her years to be considered an adult. She even fought in a war but to a father, the idea of a boyfriend was more startling. 

“How long have you been seeing this man? And why haven't you mentioned anything before now?” Helena asked calmly, not reacting nearly as fearful as her husband. In fact, she was quite excited at the prospect of there being a man in her daughter's life. Especially one who appears to be a romantic interest.

“It’s very complicated,” Hermione stressed as her fingers twiddled with the edges of the sleeves of her sweater.

“Well it’s not like the rest of the family don’t know you are a witch,” Helena teased.

“It’s along that line of complication.”

“What is this bloke 20 years older?” David joked trying to lessen the blow for himself. He always feared this day when his only child would bring home a man. He was lucky that it hasn’t happened before now but he still wished that he had his shotgun on him so he could go charging.

“How did you know?” Hermione asked in surprise. Then she winced when she realized that she just gave herself away. 

“Wait, seriously. I was just joking,” David said looking at his wife with concern.

“Okay, so he is an older guy. I always figured you would be more attracted to a mature fellow anyway.” Helena said as the moderator of the group. “So how old is he?”

“43,” Hermione said with a slight wince. His age didn’t bother her. Not when they were going to grow to 130 anyway. But in the muggle world, it is more frowned upon. Luckily in her case, her parents were both 57. It made it easier with them being older than him.

“Well you are an adult and you can make your own decisions,” Helena said. However, she could tell that her daughter’s apprehension was not just because of this mysterious suitor’s age.

“How much of the war and my school days do you remember?” Hermione asked with a resigned sigh.

“More than I’d like to,” David said. He was in the army back in his youth. He knew how the war was. How it went. The feeling of never knowing if you were going to see the next day. The fear of not knowing who you could trust. The sight of dead bodies became so normal that you didn’t even get nauseous or even flinch at the sight of them. A feeling he never wished for his daughter to experience. 

“What do you remember of Professor Snape?” Hermione asked.

“That was your potion’s professor right?” David asked. Receiving a confirming nod from his daughter. He turned to his wife to let her answer.

“Well, he was that professor of yours that was spying for the Order. Didn’t everyone believe him to be a traitor at the end of your sixth year because he killed your Headmaster. But then once the war was over it was revealed that he didn’t kill him but instead faked his death and put him in a magical coma while he found a way to heal him. All the while working on the inside to destroy Voldemort.” Helena said recalling the conversation her daughter had with her all those years ago after she tracked them down in Australia and returned their memories.

“That’s right. You also briefly met him a year ago. We were working together on a project at my apartment when you guys popped on over.” 

A time that seemed like a lifetime away. Hermione and Severus were up for almost three days straight while following a lead on a new theory for their research. Their appearances were a little haggard. It was ironic in a way. When her parents made a surprise visit they were suspicious of the two. It was no wonder what with Hermione’s messy hair and the couch covered with misplaced blankets. They took turns crashing on the couch when the need for sleep became too much. Obviously to an outsider it would look like the two were sleeping together but to Hermione and Severus it seemed like a normal solution to their current situation. So when Helena and David Granger entered the apartment they felt like they were introducing more than just their daughter’s research. Severus didn’t even react to their appearance. He gave brief one-worded replies and mostly ignored them. To Hermione, his behaviour was completely characteristic of him. But to her parents, until Hermione explained otherwise, he was brash and rude. 

“That’s who you are with?” David asked. Understanding where this conversation was going.

“Yes.”

“How long?” David asked, resigned to the realization that his daughter was serious about this.

“10 months,” Hermione said sheepishly.

“Why didn’t you say anything,” Helena exclaimed. “I thought you agreed to no longer keep secrets from us.”

“I know. And this isn’t just a secret from you guys. Actually, you are the first people we have told.” Hermione said, trying to placate them.

“Wait so not even your friends know?” 

“No.”

“Why?” David asked.

“That’s where the complication comes in. Now you remember when Severus and I were working together on that project when you stopped by?” Hermione asked and then continued once the pair nodded. “That was about a couple of weeks before we got together. We didn’t know if it was just an attraction due to us working together on the same power level or if it was something more. After a few weeks together outside of work, it became apparent that what we were feeling was real. We didn’t tell anyone because it would literally cause an outcry. The prophet would get a hold of this and we would be the centre of the outrage. The press would hound us. Don’t even get me started on the hate mail that we would receive. People would think that he was forcing me. Or that our relationship began while I was still a student which is preposterous. Then there are my friends. They may respect him because of his role in the war but they still despise him if not hate him for his personality.” 

“Okay that’s understandable but why not tell us. We would have understood. We do understand.” Helena said after a nudge to her husband for him to agree with her.

“I wanted to tell you then have you meet him, but he was away for work these last two months.”

“Okay, I can agree with that. When do we get to meet him.” David asked, itching to meet this man officially.

“Well, technically you already met him. You met him when he was a coworker, not a lover though,” Hermione said before seeing her mother shake her head side to side. And realized she should continue before her father blows a casket at the word lover. “If it’s alright with you guys, I was thinking about bringing him around to the family gathering. It’s just he’s slightly anxious over the idea of meeting you guys. So we would really appreciate it if you gave the rest of our family a bit of warning before he came. We will be running a bit late, which will give you enough time to tell the others about him and some of his certain personality traits.” Hermione said hesitantly.

“You mean warn them that he isn’t very talkative and can come across as brass?” Helena asked, remembering the sour-looking man staring at a chalkboard in concentration as he worked on a complex equation.

“Yes, that. And to realize that this needs to remain a secret. No one can know about us. We weren't planning on revealing our relationship until later but he knows how much I wanted to tell you guys and so he is trying to put in the effort.” At her parent's confused looks she elaborated with, “We are planning one telling others about us soon. Once it is safer to do so.”

“What do you mean safer?” Her parents asked in unison. Both faces worried with concern.

“With Severus' role in the war, he had to play both sides. Most of the time nobody could decipher which side he was on because he was so immersed in his role. He did join the Death Eater willingly; he only turned once he realized what it fully meant. But a lot of people were angry; when his role as a spy was revealed. He made a lot of enemies over the years. But he gained more dangerous ones when the death eaters found out he was a traitor. These last five years the Aurors have been able to apprehend most of them. But there are still a few left that would love nothing more than to use our relationship against him. Due to his history, the Auror department sometimes have him work as a consultant to catch the more elusive and dangerous. The Minister himself granted Severus immunity after the war to clear any crimes that he committed while a spy. Sometimes for special individuals, the Minister renews that immunity. It gives him more freedom to do what needs to be done without the restraints of the law.” 

“And the reason he was gone for the last two months? For work or for _ work?”  _ David asked intrigued. He was familiar with work in law enforcement as a Homicide detective but he was also familiar with sanctioned assassinations from his time as a sniper in the military. 

“Both.”

“Well you should probably remind him when he comes with you to dress muggle,” Helena said with acceptance. Hermione always appreciated how her mother was able to simply move forward and take new information in stride. It was extremely useful in times when her father had enough anxiety for the both of them.

“I’m sure I can manage,” Hermione said with a small smile.


	4. Chapter 4

The Granger family reunion took place on the 21st. It was a simple gathering, nothing too extravagant in activities. They mainly talked about the newest events in each other's lives then recalled their old ones. They would drink a little too much as they told stories and have a few good laughs that would leave them all in tears. They would then proceed to have a deliciously cooked meal. Settle down with another drink and then proceed to call it a night. This time was different. For one Hermione brought a date with her. Second, that date was Severus Snape.

For the most part, everything was going quite well. When Hermione and Severus arrived the family was respectful of Severus’ space and mainly focused on Hermione. But now that everyone has had a glass of Bourbon, the curiosity’s grown. Everyone can tell that he was the silent type. And it was no wonder what with his life as a spy and all. He sat and observed as everyone interacted with one another. He sat beside Hermione, while everyone was gathered in a circle in the living room. 

“Would you like another drink, Severus?” Grandma Mary asked.

“No thank you. I am fine,” Severus replied.

“Not much of a drinker?” Grandpa Max asked.

“No, I’m not,” Severus replied. Despite him not being a social individual, he was rather comfortable with the present company. He sat on one edge of the couch with Hermione sitting next to him. Close enough for him to draw comfort from her presence but not so close as to draw unwanted attention to their affection. 

“So what’s your flaw?” Grandma Marry asked with a pointed look in her eye as she sat her glass down and leaned forward to get a better look at the man her grandchild fancies.

“I’m sorry?” Severus asked slightly puzzled by such a question. He was expecting the interrogation to be led by Hermione’s father, not for her grandmother to take the lead.

“Grandma!” Hermione said startled. 

“What? Everyone has some. Considering it’s taken until now for you to be snatched up off the market, I’m curious to know your opinion on it. And if drinking isn’t yours then what is it?” Grandma Mary continued. 

“You don’t have to answer that,” Hermione’s mother, Helena said. She took it to heart to have everyone behave at this family gathering. She didn’t want to scare off the only man Hermione’s ever brought home.

“It’s fine,” Severus waved off. “Do you mean a physical or a personal flaw? If we're talking about personal flaws then we might be here for a while,” Severus said calmly with a raised brow. “As I am sure Hermione has mentioned my previous work during the war. Which has taken up quite a large amount of my free time.” 

“Physica then,” Grandma Mary decided on.

“Smoking,” Severus stated simply but clearly with Grandma Mary's pointed look one-worded answers were not to be accepted. “I've had many vices over the years. Many I've quit and some I’ve learned to find that I can’t just give up,” Severus said while trying not to look at Hermione. She wasn’t a problem. He was. He was firmly aware that he was not good enough for her. But he’ll be damned if he let the best thing ever to have entered his life to walk out. Not that she was planning on going anywhere anytime soon.

“I don’t wish to make you uncomfortable with any of our questions,” Helena stated.

“It’s natural to be curious and considering that none of you pounced on my moment of entry. I’m more inclined to answer them now.” It’s as if Severus said the magic words. Because all of the family took it to mean it was open season with him.

“Have you ever been married?” Aunt Sara asked.

“No,” Severus said. “I was not actively seeking out a romantic partner at the time. Nor was there anyone willing to fill that role.” 

“Of course. Clearly, that’s changed though. You are the first man Hermione’s ever brought home.” Hermione’s cousin Cecilia pointed out.

“Sara!” Hermione exclaimed. It was well known from the start of their relationship that Severus was Hermione’s first. She had never been in a committed relationship with anyone else and that extended to include sexual relations. Severus was aware of this when they began dating. It was not an issue between the two and Severus never once brought up the topic. He didn’t want to pressure her into something she was not ready for. In fact, he was more inclined for their relationship to start off slower. He has had his fair share of relationships over the years but they were few and far in between. They also didn’t include the emotional aspect that he craved with Hermione. They were purely physical and he didn't want his relationship with Hermione to start or be based on physical relief. However, after several evenings together and endless nights filled with work. It was inevitable for them to fall into bed with one another. They took many days and nights exploring the other. Once they were intimate everything between them skyrocketed. They found they craved the other’s company and more often than naught would spend the night together. They never had enough time with the other as they wished. But they took time to enjoy the quiet moments between the two. They appreciated the small things. Neither was a fan of grand endeavours of gifts. All they needed was each other. The two found comfort in the silence often shared with the reading of a book. And that suited them both just fine. To hide away in their own world with just the pair of them in it. But at the end of the day reality set in and they remembered that there were others in this world who mattered to them. They didn’t want to hide this from them forever. They plan to start off softly with Hermione’s family. Then soon Severus was planning on telling Albus and Minerva. Even though he is no longer a member of the staff at Hogwarts, he worked with the pair for approx 16 years and even though he hates to admit it, Severus does consider the pair the closest thing to friends and family he has. They were planning to tackle Harry and Ron and the rest of the Weasleys on another date once the dust in Hermione and Severus’ lives have settled. The order was also to be informed at a later date. But right now they were focusing on Hermione’s family. However, Hermione never mentioned anything this personal to her family before. But if their relationship was so serious that Hermione brought the man home it was only to be expected that the pair were intimate with one another.

“What it’s true. I mean we’ve met Harry and Ron but the two of them are like brothers to you, not a romantic interest.” Cecilia explained. With the rest of the family secretly agreeing. 

“I take it that you still teach at Hogwarts?” David asked.

“No, I quit once the war ended. There was nothing for me there.”

“What do you do now, may I ask?” Uncle Frank asked.

“I work in a privately run potions business. It allows me more freedom to personally fund my own experiments,” Severus explained. The Malfoys, whatever they may have become, were once good friends with Severus. Lucius Malfoy wished to become one once again. They fund his work and promote it to their more elite clientele, which pays more handsomely for his quality work and discretion. He provides potions that may be questionable in nature but are in the grand scheme of things harmless. “That is how I met up with Hermione.”

“We worked together on a project for a time before we began a relationship,” Hermione elaborated.

“Are you a Manchester fan?” Uncle Frank asked.

“I’m not a huge fan of the sport. But as long as West Ham United isn’t playing, I enjoy a good game every now and then.

“What’s your favourite novel? Grandma Mary asked, taking over the investigation once again.

“What makes you think that I am literate enough to have a favourite?” Severus inquired with an arched brow.

“There is no possible way that Hermione would fall in love with someone who didn’t share her passion for reading.” 

“The Brothers Karamazov,” Severus stated simply after a moment of thought.

“Really?”

“I read it after the first war. And I found myself resonating.” Severus took a breath and closed his eyes as he repeated a passage.  _ “Above all, don't lie to yourself. The man who lies to himself and listens to his own lie comes to a point that he cannot distinguish the truth within him, or around him, and so loses all respect for himself and for others. And having no respect he ceases to love.” _

“You grew up in the muggle world! Grandpa Max exclaimed coming to the realization. “Sorry, it’s just you seem to be more updated with our world than Hermione’s friend Ronald.”

“Well I’m not surprised by that,” Severus mused with a smirk. Hermione then proceeded to elbow him in the side. And gave him a pointed look. When their relationship began they mutually agreed that he would try to not be so vocal about his disdain over her friends and she would be less hostile about the Malfoys. “I do not speak well of Hermione’s friends so it has been suggested that I do not speak of them at all.”

“Well having to deal with their stunts at school must give you a good reason not to,” Uncle John said.

“You have no idea,” Severus said. “But yes I did grow up in the muggle world. My father was a muggle and my mother a witch.” He explained.

“And what of them now are they still alive or…? Helena asked.

“My mother died when I was 19. And my father well...he wasn’t much of a father to me, not much of a good man either. Tobias was not a fan of magic,” Severus said trying to keep the anger out of his voice. 

“I see,” David Granger said with a strained voice. He had an odd look on his face briefly before he quickly masked his features. The room fell into silence. He didn’t say anything specific but Hermione’s family is smart and they know how to read in between the lines. With the drawn-out silence and the unwanted attention, Severus grew stiff and decided that now was the time to make a quick escape. He lasted for over an hour before the need for solitude became too great. He squeezed Hermione’s thigh in reassurance.

“Excuse me I am going to get some air,” Severus said as he stood up and made his way out the front door. Everyone followed his movements but once the door closed behind him Hermione looked back to her family.

“Okay, can we please stop the interrogation,” Hermione pleaded?

“You make it seem like you don't want us to get to know him,” Her father said.

“Ya, what are you trying to do, keep him to yourself?” Cecilia asked with a smile.

“I just don’t want you to overwhelm him,” Hermione replied as she too stood up and made her way outside. It was chilly in the air with only a jumper keeping her warm. Luckily she didn’t have to go too far as Severus was only standing at the bottom of the steps that led up to the house. He was leaning against a post as he smoked a cigarette. He was aware of her presence but he didn’t acknowledge it.

“How are you handling all of this?” Hermione asked as she stood next to Severus.

“I’ve had worse,” Severus replied, turning to lean his back against the post to look at her.

“Don’t worry about it, at this point they completely accept you and are just seeing how far they can push you. They did the same thing to Harry and Ron,” Hermione said in a reassuring voice. Severus only nodded at this. “What’s wrong?” Hermione asked after a moment of silence. The sun had already set a while ago and besides the street lamps, the only source of light came from the windows in the house and from the cigarette hanging low in his hand.

“I was always aware that I had an unusual childhood growing up. But I don’t think I ever realized how much I craved a positive one. Even after all of these years,” Severus replied after a moment of contemplating his words. “I am finding myself enjoying this life you have allowed me to glimpse into and I don’t want to let go of it or ruin it”

“You won’t have to. In case you haven’t noticed I am quite attached to you as well. I love being with you. And nothing that happens in there will change the way I feel about you,” Hermione said pointing towards her family’s house. Severus sighed as he took a step closer to Hermione dropping the bud of his smoke onto the ground. He placed his hand on her arms moving them up and down as he tried to ease the chill she was experiencing. She leaned towards him resting her forehead against his chest as she held her hands on his hips. She looked up towards him as he looked down towards her, their eyes searching into the others. Slowly they drew closer together until their lips connected. 

“They look really good together,” Helena said as she watched her daughter threw the window. She wasn’t the only one though. Everyone was gathered on a small couch that sat underneath the window sill. They wanted to observe the couple when they thought that nobody was watching. And they were receiving quite the show.

“I don’t think we should be watching them,” David said. He was pleased to see that his daughter was happy but that didn’t need to include him having to watch her snogging a man. 

“If they didn’t want people to watch then they wouldn’t be snogging out in front of the house,” Uncle Frank inputted.

“If you don’t want to watch them you can always look away,” Grandma Mary suggested. She on the other hand just couldn’t look away from the passionate embrace of the couple.

“She looks really happy,” David said, resigned that this was going to become a common occurrence from now on.

“Happy. That girl is completely smitten. And from the way he’s looking at her, he is as well,” Grandpa Max said.

“Dinner is done. Should we get them?” Aunt Sara asked.

“I say give them another minute,” Helena said with a smile as everyone turned away from the couple. 

* * *

  
  


“What about you? Have any new suitors knocking at your door?” Hermione asked as she was washing the dishes from dinner while her cousin dried them.

“Well considering my ex-girlfriend cheated on me. No. I’m just playing the field right now,” Cecilia replied. “But I can see why you would like him. That beaux of yours is the epitome of tall, dark, and mysterious. Plus that voice of his is like sin.” She said in regards to Severus, who was talking to Hermione’s mother in the room opposite of them.

“You have no idea,” Hermione said trying very hard when her eyes glazed over her partner to not think about all of their moments together.

“That must have been torture as a student. Trying to concentrate on what he is saying when denying that he was making you sexually frustrated.”

“I didn’t get sexually frustrated. I was too busy to be,” Hermione said matter of factly. Romance wasn’t exactly a priority when you're friends with Harry, who's always in danger, Potter. Romance may be different than sex, but while away at school and as a teenager for that matter, they were both one and the same. And the war took precedence over her own personal matters. 

Cecilia suddenly stopped what she was doing and slowly turned to look at her cousin with a shocked look on her face as a thought occurred to her. “Tell me that you weren't having scandalous sex with your teacher. That would be more shocking than the time you snuck out of your bedroom through the window to break into the public library when you were 12.”

Hermione almost choked on her breathing at that suggestion. “No, I just mean that I was so busy with the war and my studies, I wasn’t focusing on any attractions. I never even considered seeing Severus in that way until we started working together a year ago.” Which, in both Hermione and Severus’ case was completely true. They both tried not to think about her time as a student. Luckily they both never interacted with one another outside of the classroom. Even in the classroom they only directed a question to one another every other week or so. Both of their lives were so hectic at the time that the thought never even occurred to them. It made it easier not to think about the implications. Luckily it isn’t a subject matter that bothers the other or one they wish to bring up. However, others won’t feel that way. It never bothered the pair how society will view their relationship. It only bothered Hermione if her parents would think that way.

Luckily they know their daughter and trust that something like that would never happen. It wasn’t even a concern when Hermione told them. Them being her parents on the other hand did have other concerns about their relationship. One Helena Granger was addressing Severus across the room as they spoke.

“Do you prefer Severus or is Snape fine?” Helena asked Severus once the pair were alone. The others were all scattered throughout the house. So Helena took the time to talk to her daughter’s suitor alone.

“Snape is fine.” Severus gave Helena an examining look as he took in her behaviour. Then he sighed as the conversation took the expected turn that he was dreading all night. “Is this the part where you threaten me with your shotgun to not hurt Hermione?” Severus asked.

“No her father might later. I realize that it would be mute to do so since you could clearly evade us in the case of such an attempt. Nonetheless, I doubt threatening you would actually intimidate you,” Helena stated matter of factly. Hermione made it a point to discuss Severus’ history with the pair of them. While impressive it was intimidating.

“No it wouldn’t, but I wouldn’t begrudge you for trying,” Severus said.

“She was never a social individual, our Hermione,” Helena said, changing the topic. “We always wondered if she was lonely growing up. But she always seemed perfectly content if not excited at the prospect of burying her head into a book. Something that I'm sure came to the relief of my husband when it came to the topic of potential suitors. Even when we forgot about her, we knew that something was missing. That our lives were incomplete. The moment she was born she became our whole world. Even when she left ours. So obviously you can understand our concern about her being involved with someone. Let alone someone with your reputation,” Helena said looking at Severus who was currently watching Hermione across the room. His expression was devoid of emotion throughout the evening and his shoulders were always tensed when a question was directed at him. However, while looking at her daughter he was relaxed and content in his position. “I mean it must not always be easy between the two of you, especially with your need to hide her in the shadows. She deserves more than that. She loves you though. She might not have said it but it is written all over her face. The way that she smiles as if…” Helena trailed off as she tried to find the words to describe her. But it seemed as though Severus knew exactly what she was talking about as he finished her sentence. “...As if she is the sun shining through the clouds.” 

The two sat in silence as they watched Hermione laugh at whatever her cousin said.

“I agree. She deserves more than I could ever give her. Many will say that she deserves better than someone like me. I would be the first to admit that. I am sure you can attest that once Hermione sets her heart on something nothing can deter her. Not even me. I am lucky that my love for her is reciprocated. You're right it is not always easy. Love is never easy. But it is something worth fighting for. But more importantly for me, it is something worth living for.” Severus said full-heartedly. 

“I can see what she sees in you,” Helena said, causing Severus to turn to her. He had a frown on his face as he tried to decipher her words. “Your loyalty is much desired. But I will say this though. If you hurt her, I won’t have to kill you. It would probably kill you to live with the knowledge that you broke her heart.

* * *

  
  


The night had drawn to an end. Severus was outside smoking once again. He was waiting for Hermione as she made her final goodbyes to the rest of her family before they all made their way to retire for the evening. 

“Snape... Interesting name. Your father’s I presume,” David Granger asked as he quietly stepped up beside Severus. With the night ending it only seemed fair for the final interrogation to occur between the two men now before they go their separate ways. Severus turned to look at the older man and gave a slight nod of his head as he gave an affirmation to the man’s question. Severus raised an eyebrow in question to the man’s line of inquiry.

“I take it that Hermione hasn’t mentioned what it is I did for a living.” David continued without a reply.

“Before she was born I was a rookie detective. Made a name for myself and moved up the ranks. I’ve been catching killers for years now. Been retired for about 7. But 20 years ago when I was just starting I came across this scene. A young woman completely unrecognizable was found naked and bound, dead in this alleyway. This wasn’t the first time a dead body was found like this. There were several cases of the same MO over the last five years. But then he came to our town. No one was able to connect that they were connected until I was given the lead. He would kidnap a young woman after he met her at a bar and hold her for several days as he tortured, raped and brutalized the women. He stabbed them, shocked them, and drowned them. But he always killed them by strangling them with a belt,” David said this with a steady voice. Severus was watching the man as he said all of this. David wasn’t looking at him though. He wasn’t directing this towards him.

“It took three years to track this man down after he disappeared off the grid. You know the usual investigations take longer than the public realized what with interviewing witnesses and actual police work. 12 years ago, I went after him when I figured out the location of where he was holding his latest victim. Somehow even though I had the element of surprise, he was able to get the jump on me. He ended up tying me up like any of his other victims. I got lucky though compared to the others. All he did was stab me 14 times in the abdomen. But he didn’t kill me. He left me to be found. When I woke up in the hospital, it was only then when I realized that he purposely didn't want me dead. He missed all of my vital organs. Hard to do with that many wounds but he did it anyway. He killed the women though. I've never seen him again. Never been close enough to catch him. He has always been six steps ahead of me. I’ve been tracking him for 2 decades but he always seems to disappear again. Smart bastard has escaped everyone who has searched for him. We always knew it was the same guy since he always kept the same MO. And his first name; Tobias. Found that out from the bars he picked up the women. He has gone by many last names though. Mark, Smith, Dawn, Snape…” David turned to look at Severus at the end of this. Looking to see if there was any reaction out of the man beside him. But there was no reaction, not even a tick in the jaw. But only if you knew Severus you would be able to know that he was occluding his mind as every second passed. His eyes darkened as he closed his mind off from the darkness of his past. 

“Now ain't that a coincidence,” David continued, not even remotely surprised by the man’s lack of reaction. From a man with his type of reputation, he would be shocked if he wasn’t capable of hiding his emotions. He wouldn’t be alive otherwise. “You said that your father wasn’t a good man?” David asked. The pair were both completely aware of what he was asking.

“He was a monster, never kept in touch with him once I turned 18,” Severus said after a moment of contemplation.

“But did he keep in touch with you?” David inquired.

“He made his presence known.”

“Where is your daddy nowadays?” David asked all pretense aside.

“Unfortunately not lying dead in a ditch as I desire. Haven’t seen him in 8 years. But I see he has kept busy,” Severus replied with a sigh as he took a drag from his smoke. “He has made it a priority to destroy all that is good. Especially when it involves me. The next time you see him I suggest you put a bullet between his eyes. If I don’t get to him first.” Severus didn’t look angry, if anything, he looked resigned. As if he was exhausted.

“You gonna kill him?” David asked, calmly. As if the two were having a normal conversation and not discussing murder plans.

“You’ve seen the photos, the bodies. You know what he would do to her. Especially if he knew what she meant to me,” Severus said as glanced behind him. Seeing Hermione hugging her grandmother through the window.

“Does she know?” David asked. Hermione was only a young child when he ended up in the hospital from that case. He never truly disclosed the details with her. She was too young at the time to truly comprehend. 

“Yes,” Severus said simply.

“That why you keeping this whole relationship a secret?”

“He has numerous resources that he has accumulated over the years. Always kept informed of my person despite my attempt to lose him. He sends me a picture of me now and then from a day that he watched me, despite my paranoia. Once I can put that piece of the past behind me, she won’t need to hide,” Severus said with determination as the thought of Tobias finding out about Hermione boiled his blood. 

“Then my only suggestion for you. Is that when you find him, don’t miss.”


	5. Chapter 5

They weren’t even dating the first time Hermione and Severus woke up together. They were searching for a lost artifact that supposedly had been the cause of an earthquake that had happened. They were brewing a potion that would be able to trace the energy signature they found off of some rubble. It appeared to have a plasmic energy signature, they had never seen before in any type of magic. The artifact appears to have been dormant for centuries until the unexplained earthquake occurred two weeks ago. The artifact belonged to King James the second. It was believed that he was a muggle-born wizard and hid his magical abilities by transferring them into a dagger. A dagger he was given by the Vicomte de Turenne  when he served in the military. The dagger was described to have a blackened steel hilt featuring asymmetrical shell guards, pas d’ane, and heart-shaped pommel, all decorated ensuite with inlaid silver floral and geometric design. The blade was simple in design and was a standard length. When he died in 1701 one of his King’s guards and trusted male counterparts was supposedly ordered to hide the dagger, so that no man could wield the King’s greatness. However, hidden texts revealed that by removing his magic the King grew very sick not only physically but mentally as well. His mind succumbed to darkness and rage. His lover, recognizing the danger that the dagger possessed stole it in the dead of night and tried to destroy it. When he tried to destroy the blade it emitted an energy that caused a huge earthquake that destroyed the surrounding village. He hid it leaving behind a series of clues so that one day it could properly be destroyed. Scholars have searched for centuries for this dagger. Clues revealed that the King’s soldier found a series of underground tunnels and in his grief planned to poison himself and be laid to rest in a secret cavern. His body was never found nor was the dagger. It is believed that he died with the dagger in his hands. Many have sought this dagger both in the muggle and magical world. The tale has been lost to history. Most people believe this story to be a myth. But most myths have a basis in fact.

When the earthquake happened most people just ignored it and passed it off as nature being nature. But not Hermione and Severus Snape. Severus was suspicious of the seismic power of the earthquake and approached Hermione to see if her abilities in arithmancy could be of any assistance to locate its origins. It was funny, Hermione introduced the King James’ theory as a joke, reminiscing about the old folk tale. She had not expected Severus to understand what she was referring to. However, as luck would have it he was as well read as she was and was able to match up some coincidences between the two instances. At first, it was just a silly idea that humored the pair but it slowly transformed into a search for an incredible archeological find. 

It took all night to brew and had to be stirred every two hours for three rotations and left to simmer for four. The two sat on the couch discussing new academic theories for hours until their topic of discussion turned to philosophical debates. They even talked about the hardships of reentering society after the war. His travels around the world and her conflicting thoughts of Harry getting married. This led into the early hours of the morning. Only stopping to review the potion. Once midday hit and the light shone through the windows, the glare woke the pair who somehow found themselves awakening next to one another as they laid on the couch side by side. Severus laid stretched out along the couch and Hermione found herself curled up to his side. She would have probably fallen off at some point if it wasn't for Severus’ arm wrapped securely around her. 

When they both were properly awake they quickly disentangled their limbs and separated. Severus stalked off mumbling about checking the potion while Hermione composed her flustered state while she ran a hand through her hair. Her fingers getting caught in her curls. It was strange how the two quickly fell asleep in the other’s embrace. Sleep had always been a struggle for the two individuals. Which left the two so unnerved. 

But it wasn’t unpleasant.

They never discussed the implications that day. Or for any of the subsequent days either. 

It was awkward as they danced around each other in the kitchen that morning. Bumping into one another as one of them reached for a cup of coffee as the other made a fresh batch of white tea.

There was tension between them as they tried to decipher how to act around the other. The two individuals were very private and had not yet allowed many if not anyone to see their morning routine. But now they had to incorporate the other. The two were very adaptable and were able to compensate, that wasn’t the problem. In a way they found the other to be more so distracting than anything else. The way Severus grew distracted as he watched Hermione stretch as she reached for a mug on one of the top shelves. How her shirt slid up only an inch or two but revealed some of the smooth skin of her stomach. The way Severus moved behind her. The feeling of his chest brushing against her back as he reached behind her and grabbed the mug himself. Causing Hermione to lose her train of thought. The two should have recognized the signs of sexual tension between them but they chose to ignore it. Which in hindsight was probably not the greatest idea the two ever had. It slowly crept up on the pair and of course would boil over to a great capacity. And of course, it would occur at the most ill-timed moment. 

Those days were long gone. They settled into a routine with one another. Severus was usually the first to wake when they shared a bed. Hermione still had a separate apartment but the days she would stay there instead of staying at Severus’ home grew far and too few. Even Crookshanks marked his own territory at the house. He coveted a leather chair in his library as his own. Severus would make a pot of coffee while Hermione showered. Sometimes if he already had the pot going before Hermione awakened then he would join her in the shower. Hermione was the first to leave most days. She normally had meetings and had an office at the Ministry of Magic while Severus preferred to work from home at his personal lab in the basement. Most evenings they would spend together as Severus cooked and Hermione did the dishes. Or if it grew too late, one would pick up takeout. They would read novels or go over research with the other before retiring to bed. It was a simple life but for two people who spent much of their life fighting for their lives, simplicity was much appreciated. 

Today was no different. They woke up and had coffee, dressed and read the prophet. The only difference was that today was Saturday and instead of heading to the Ministry, Hermione made her way over to the Potter house to meet up with Harry and Ron. Severus had to meet with a local apothecary to order some rare ingredients and then was being forced to attend a mandatory summons by the Malfoys.

Which leaves her with her present company. After graduation, Harry and Ron joined the Aurors. Harry quickly made his way up the ranks and was currently paired with Tonks for fieldwork. Ron decided after two years that the Auror program wasn’t for him. He did however returned to his love for strategy and became a coach for the Chudley Cannons. With Ron leading them, they made a vast improvement over the last year. They may actually stand a chance to make it to the finals. 

“Please no more, nor more quidditch talk,” Hermione begged from her spot on the floor. Even though there were couches in the living room the three opted to sit on the ground. A habit they developed in their early years at Hogwarts. One that has stuck with them even years after they graduated. Harry was leaning back against the couch, his form still lean and scrawny. Even with age Harry hasn’t been able to manage his messy and unruly hair. Ron on the other hand had cut his hair short which somehow made his body structure appear larger from years of quidditch training. Hermione was seated across from the pair. Wearing an elbow-length shirt, her mudblood scar was prominent. Hermione wasn’t self-conscious of her scar but she was aware that it caused people to focus on her arm rather than her words so she covers it when she is in public. 

“What?” Ron asked, confused.

“Not everyone is as quidditch crazy as you,” Hermione explained. With Harry nodding in agreeance beside her.

“You are,” Ron protested at Harry's betrayal.

“Not like I used to. I grew up,” Harry said proudly with a smug grin on his face as if trying to prove his point.

“You mean you are busy with work,” Hermione guessed.

“I am swamped,” Harry admitted, rubbing his old lightning scar in stress. “Wanna do it for me?”

“Not a chance I’ve got my own problems right now,” Hermione said half-heartedly. In reality, her schedule wasn’t as hectic as it normally was. Most of her time was spent with Severus.

“How’s Gin doing?” Ron asked. With being in the middle of training season he hadn’t had a chance to visit the family as often as the others. The last time he saw his sister, it was at the Weasley family brunch a month ago. She and Harry just announced that she was expecting. There was a lot of celebrating and crying, mostly by his mother.

“I swear with the pregnancy hormones, I fear her more than I ever did of Voldemort,” Harry said jokingly.

“Do you know if it’s a boy or girl yet?” Ron asked.

“Not yet, we are planning on having it be a surprise. But Ginny’s convinced that it is a boy. And who am I to tell the woman she is wrong.”

“Smart man,” Hermione commended.

“Speaking of being smart. I was wondering if you two would be the godparents,” Harry asked nonchalantly as if what he was asking wasn't that big of a deal or honour. 

“Of course,” Hermione exclaimed, reaching over to pull Harry in for a hug as he laughed at her antics. With her arms wrapped around him, they both held on for a long while as they sought out each other's comfort. 

“It’s about time that you asked mate,” Ron said clapping Harry on the shoulder. Resulting in the pair giving him an odd look. “What?” Ron asked, “We are the only friends the bloke has.”

“I am expecting this kid to have the entire Hogwarts of History to be memorized before they grace the halls of Hogwarts,” Harry said, expressing his hopes that if something ever happened to him and Ginny that his child would have a better childhood than he did.

“Don’t worry if they ain’t smart then they will have a place on the Cannons if I am still coaching,” Ron said trying to be reassuring.

“Ya that is such a relief,” Harry said, expressing that it wasn’t working.

Well, who would have thought that Harry who couldn’t figure out his first kiss would be a father,” Ron laughed, with Hermione joining in. 

“What about you Mione? Anyone catch your eye lately?” Harry asked.

“Me?” Hermione asked, surprised. It took her a moment before she replied with as little stuttering as she possibly could on such short notice. “No. No. I don’t have time for dating,” Hermione said lying through her teeth. “What about you Ron? How was that date with Haley?” Hermione asked, trying to draw the attention away from herself.

“It wasn’t half bad. We are actually planning on going out again on Thursday for dinner.”

“Does this mean that the infamous bachelor Ron Weasley is thinking about settling down?” Hermione asked teasingly.

“Possibly.”

“So are we going to need an extra seat at the Burrow for biweekly lunch?” Harry asked joining in the fun.

“Maybe one day. I’m not planning on telling mom until I know It’s serious. You know how she gets. If I tell her anything she will start planning my wedding by the end of the day.

“You mean like she did with me and you?” Hermione asked jokingly.

“Yes and we only went on two dates before we called it quits,” Ron said seriously.

“Wait she actually planned our wedding?” Hermione asked shocked.

“Are you really surprised?” Ron asked inquisitively.

“No, I shouldn’t be. It’s just I never really gave a thought to ever getting married. I guess I always figured that I would elope or just sign the paperwork at the Ministry if it ever happened,” Hermione said trying to suppress the urge to think about her relationship with Severus. They have been together for some time now. Long enough for Hermione to be positive that she does wish to spend the rest of her life in a romantic relationship with him. However, she never really considered the titles they would use for their relationship once it was made public. Boyfriend didn’t seem very appropriate to define their relationship. Plus the term boy certainly did not apply to Severus. Lover was probably the closest, but it seemed to lack the emotional aspect that they share. Partner was what they referred to when they first worked together. It seems like that title would suit the pair just fine. Husband and wife wasn’t a title that she thought about especially one that would one day apply to her. She wasn’t even sure what Severus’ views on marriage were. Obviously, he didn’t receive a great impression from his parents as a child. And most people he was close to that were married were a part of an arrangement. 

“That would have been a lot easier than mine. It would have been a lot easier if work had eased up at the time too,” Harry said. At the time, Harry was attempting to plan his wedding when he was given a new assignment. It was supposed to be a simple assignment involving a protective detail for a foreign diplomat. Things didn’t go as planned and the next thing he knew was that a one-hour decision on seating arrangements became a two-month debacle. 

“Got a new case?” Ron asked.

“Ya, it’s pretty rough. The department is keeping it under wrap. Don’t want to cause a panic,” Harry explained, removing his glasses to clean them on his shirt.

“What is it? A rogue Death Eater?” Ron asked curiously, giving his undivided attention. 

“We don’t know who it is,” Harry sighed. “There’s been a string of murders. All of the victims were young, single females. Witches mind you, not muggles. All found here in London. They were all tortured pretty badly before they were killed. We don’t even know if it is a wizard or muggle killing them. It’s hard to figure out how they were tortured.”

“How did they die?” Ron asked. As Hermione suppressed the urge to shift in her spot in uncomfortableness. As soon as Harry started describing the case a sense of unease and nausea swept over her. 

“Strangulation. Looks to be some kind of rope or maybe a chain. It’s some kind of flexible band that was able to wrap about their entire neck.

“A belt?” Hermione choked out. Her throat, tight with anxiety.

“That could be it exactly,” Harry said snapping his fingers. “I wished you would come work for the Aurors. It would make my life so much easier.”

“Then you would be out of a job, Potter,” Hermione joked trying to remain calm.

“Not if there are monsters like this guy out in the world,” Ron said.

“There will always be men like him,” Hermione said hoping the others didn’t see the grave expression on her face.

  
  


* * *

Hermione quickly made her way home after making an excuse to hide her haste exit. The boys were none the wiser that she was leaving for a reason other than the one she gave them.

She apparated into the house. With no lights on or any noises, she quickly went to the potion’s lab to discover it empty. Suddenly remembering that Severus was out with the Malfoys. She quickly made it back up to the main level and stopped in the living room. She pulled out her phone. Thanking the heavens that Severus wasn’t like most wizards who were ignorant of the technological advances in the muggle world. He had his own cell phone which made it easier for the pair to communicate when they were on opposite sides of the country. 

“Severus it’s me,” Hermione said into her phone as she passed back and forth. “Contact me as soon as you can, I just got back to your house.” Hermione sighed as she stopped passing. The anxiety was obvious in her voice. “He’s here. Tobias is here in London.”

Pain suddenly exploded at the back of her head. The force caused her to collapse on the ground. Her vision blurred on the edges as her mind faded to darkness. Not before she could see a pair of black shoes walked towards her as she fell unconscious.


	6. Chapter 6

_ This was not how I wanted to spend my Friday night,  _ Hermione thought as she scaled down an old rope ladder as she descended a dark hole in the cemetery. 

It took one week to be able to find what they believed to be the origins of the earthquake. The earthquake consisted of several smaller pockets all of which occurred simultaneously from Chester, Warrington, Wiggan and Foby. When drawn on a map all of these cities encircle a center point of Liverpool. The only known tunnels in the area are the Williamson Tunnels. The tunnels are a series of extensive subterranean excavations believed to have been created under the direction of tobacco merchant Joseph Williamson between 1810 and 1840. However, the tunnels were filled in with rubble during the 19th and early 20th centuries and remained inaccessible until archaeological investigations were carried out in 1995. Excavations are still being carried out today. Nonetheless, if the earthquakes originated from the magical powers of the dagger then these tunnels should have been affected by the seismic powers, however, they remained undisturbed. 

The possibility that the tunnels they were looking for still remained unknown and inaccessible became high. 

It wasn’t until they researched at a local library that they came across a new lead. They found in the archives the original journal from a local girl born in the 1900s named Agatha Gerald. She became worried about her father when one day he appeared with a branded mark on his wrist. A cross with a V underneath. Afraid that he was a part of a religious cult she followed him when she noticed he began to sneak out at night. She followed him in the dead of night as he maneuvered through a series of tunnels he used for his job as a tobacco smuggler in 1916 during the prohibition. She followed him until she reached a dead-end cavern. Finding no trace of her father, once he disappeared. The only thing Agatha wrote worth knowing about the cavern she found was that it was _ marked _ . She believed that he vanished with magic and was a part of a devil-worshiping cult. Not much thought was ever given to Agatha’s diary entry. Any scholars who came across it believed that her ramblings of her father were an indicator that he was involved with the Freemasons. No one ever thought of the possibility that there was a connection to the diary and King James’ dagger until now.

Agatha wrote that the entrance to the tunnels was located underneath an unmarked gravestone in the cemetery behind the old school. When moved revealed a hole and a rope ladder. From research the old school she was referring to burned down in 1962 and was never rebuilt. But the closest cemetery to that spot was Prescot cemetery. Which was an active cemetery when Agatha was still alive. The cemetery is just over a two-hour walk from the Williamson Tunnels. The tunnels may connect amongst the distance. 

If what Agatha wrote was true then there is an entry to the tunnels in Prescot cemetery that are connected to the Williamson tunnels. There is also a false wall in the tunnels that had been  _ marked. _ She didn’t directly state how the wall was marked, all she wrote was  _ diev et mon droit.  _ It is the motto of the Monarch of the United Kingdom outside Scotland. One that King Jame would have used during his reign. It seemed so easy to connect the dots now that they have all of the information when in reality it took several long restless days and endless nights of research. Hermione loved research and even prided herself on her ability to comb through research with a magnifying glass but this was just tedious.

Using a glamour charm, to disguise their movements, Hermione and Severus made their way through Prescot Cemetery earlier this evening. Looking for an unmarked grave was a strenuous task. Many graves were named but over time the carvings had faded. The two used flashlights as they read each grave, opting out of using magic. If they were caught for trespassing then they didn’t want to have to answer any more unnecessary questions than necessary. There was also the possibility that any magic could trigger the dagger’s energy and create another earthquake. Something the pair were trying to avoid. The two separated to cover more ground. There were hundreds of names and unmarked graves to go through. It was after two hours when Severus indicated that he found it. By the time Hermione made her way over to him, Severus was standing over a dark hole in the ground. The grave had been pushed off to the side.

Luckily the tunnel appeared to be only one way once Hermione and Severus reached the bottom of the rope and examined their surroundings. The tunnel was approximately 7 feet tall and only a few feet wide. It was difficult for the pair to walk side by side. The walls were composed of dirt and rocks jutting out from the sides. Depending on the stretch of land above them, some roots hung low from the top. When they shined their flashlights down the length of the tunnel it extended several hundred meters before the path curled off to the side. It was a good call on both of their parts that they wore a pair of dragon hide boots and had the foresight to wear jackets. Despite there only one known exit, the air was cold and there was a draft. The air was thick from the dirt. The ground was uneven and damp with moisture. Hermione pulled her hair up and out of her face as Severus studied the integrity of the tunnel.

Making their way along the tunnel, the air was thick with tension. The tension wasn’t only from the suspense and the lack of clean oxygen but from the silence between the pair. While working together they began to develop a fellowship that they had not anticipated, when they first met up all of those weeks ago. But after sleeping in each other's arms they became aware that their feelings for the other may not be only strictly friendly or professional. With awkward glances from Hermione and Severus looking anywhere but at her, it was uncomfortable in the close spaces.

Hermione started to talk to try and ease the tension. Despite any awkwardness between the two they never had an issue conversing. Most likely due to the fact that the pair are quite intellectually matched; a rare occurrence in both of their experiences. “I looked into the symbol that Agatha’s father had but I couldn’t find anything in any books.” 

“It’s possibly a Christain symbol turned into a dagger. King James was a devoted Catholic during his reign,” Severus said as he engaged her in conversation. When the tunnel took a sharp turn they came across some fallen stones that blocked the path. Severus helped guide Hermione as she climbed over it first. His fingers lingering on her waist under her clothes. His hands burned against the coolness of her skin. Once she made it over he quickly maneuvered through the debris himself.

“It’s a possibility that her father was a part of a secret organization descended from either the King’s soldiers or the survivors of the original earthquake and were sworn to protect it or to try and to destroy it,” Hermione said, trying to distract herself from their closeness as the tunnel wined in spirals.

“I’m not entirely sure what Agatha meant by the wall being marked,” Hermione said, looking to the man on her left. “What kind of marking are we exactly looking for? A discrepancy? Or a symbol?

“The phrase  _ diev et mon droit _ means "God and my right". Severus said as the two found themselves at the end of the tunnel. The cavern was carved with more care and precision than the tunnel they walked in was. The stones along the walls were smooth, the cracks separating each brick was barely legible. “So if what she said was the wall was marked with God and my right. She could have meant literally that God or a symbol of God was located on the right side of the wall,” Severus said as he walked to the wall to their right. A few minutes had passed as the two examined the wall. 

Hermione was squatted down examining the lower stones when she noticed that one of the vertical lines in the stone was curved. Moving closer and brushing away some old dust there was a carving of a circle. While moving closer she lost her balance and put her weight on her hand to steady herself. The circle pushed inwards with a grown. The wall gave way and shifted inwards to the attaching wall resulting in a space between the two.

“Well that went well,” Hermione said as she stood up.

“It seems we are on the right path,” Severus said as he motioned for Hermione to go first. The tunnel had decreased in size. Resulting in the need for Hermione to walk ahead while Severus trailed behind her. It was easier to ignore the tension between them as they walked one by one. But both were aware of its presence.

They walked in silence for almost 10 minutes letting the winding tunnel guide their way in the dark. Hermione suddenly stopped as a loud groaning sound began to echo throughout the air. Rubble and stones began to shift as the earth shifted under their feet. It was an aftershock from the earthquake. The idea was daunting since they were underground. The ground rumbled and shook. They were walking for so long it was too late to turn back now. The tunnel was so straight and narrow there was nowhere for them to go. Severus was much more steady on his feet than Hermione was when the ground felt like it was tilted sideways. With the sudden unleveled ground Hermione ended up falling backwards, luckily Severus was there to catch her and steady her. He made no protest or attempt to correct her stance while the earth shook around them. Hermione’s back was pressed up against Severus’ chest and he kept his arms wrapped around her tight. 

The air grew silent.

After a minute once it became apparent that the quake had passed. Hermione attempted to upright herself only to find that Severus’ arms were protecting and protesting her escape.

“You can let me go now,” Hermione said weakly, trying to cover up her anxious excitement with discomfort. She didn’t want him to know that she was enjoying her embrace.

“There is no need to sound so ungracious,” Severus said with a drawl as his hands moved up under her arms to guide her upright. Hermione turned to face him with a scowl on her lips. Sometimes he could still be a bastard despite his more lenient nature nowadays. A retort died on her tongue as the ground shook more prominently this time as the aftershock of the quake spread through the tunnel. A few feet before them debris from the roof caved in. Stones scattered before them blocking their path forward. The movement of the ground caused the pair to fly sideways. Back and forth until she fell back into the wall. 

Her back was pressed along the cold stone as Severus fell on her caging her body in as he tried to steady himself. Once the aftershock ended they were able to truly take stock of their positions. The way Severus’ arms were placed by her head. How he was curved onto her to protect her from falling debris. And the way his groin was pressed firmly against her lower abdomen. They were breathing heavily from the commotion and the dirt in the air. But when their eyes locked onto each other in their intimate position it seemed to make catching their breaths even more difficult. Their faces were only a few inches away from one another. Even from their close view, they could see each other entirely. His eyes were always dark but now they looked like a pool of endless darkness. Most would find it unnerving to look him in the eye but as her honey-coated eyes locked onto his, she couldn’t look away. The thickness of the air slowly settled as the last of the dirt fell slowly around them. But the air seemed to electrify the longer they looked at one another. The atmosphere was strung until the moment their gazes lowered onto the other’s lips. That was when the string snapped. And their mouths crashed together. 

Hermione wasn’t sure who kissed who, only that neither pulled away. Even though the air was cold, her bones felt alight with fire. It had awakened something in her that she never felt before. A spark that once started could not be put out. She will never be able to forget the taste of his mouth on hers as their lips moved together. She had been kissed before but none of them compared to the passion that this held. It was intoxicating and she never wanted it to stop. And for a few minutes, they didn't. Pressed up together it wasn’t hard to feel Severus’ growing arousal. She could feel her own desire growing as well. One of Severus' hands moved onto her waist to hold her either to the wall or to him, she couldn’t be sure. His kiss was bruising. Her lips would sure be swollen and maybe even bleeding from their raw and chapped state. His hand grazed up along her body briefly grazing her breast. Not lingering nearly enough for her liking. His hand moved to her neck, wrapping around her gently. Briefly squeezing, putting pressure on her throat as he tore his mouth away from her. If it wasn’t for his hand holding her in place she would have followed him until his mouth was reunited with hers.

Panting heavily while still pressed together, their eyes once again were searching the others. This time Severus' gaze had softened. “We shouldn’t do this here,” Severus said as he remained in his position. Their bodies still pressed together.

“Your right,” Hermione panted. “This isn’t the time nor the place,” Hermione said, making sure that her want and need for this to continue was known. “Relationships that begin during high and intense dangerous situations often result in disastrous consequences,” Hermione said, pointing out a flaw in their plan. They should have realized, now that they were both aware of the other’s attraction for them, that nothing was stopping them from pursuing a relationship. The problem was the possibility of the fire burning so passionately between the two that it ended up dying out leaving the pair burned.

“I detest and loathe that theory,” Severus said while his voice lacked its normal disgust. “Want to prove it wrong?” Severus asked. Wanting to let her know that he was willing to try if she was.

“What do you propose?” Hermione asked excitedly.

“Have dinner with me next Friday?” Severus asked all pretense aside. 

“It’s a date,” Hermione said. 

“Agreed,” Severus said as he finally pushed off of the wall and stepped back from Hermione. He took one look before he went to check to see if the cave in destroyed the way they had come. Hermione also figured that he had left to be alone to compose himself. She herself was also struggling with all that has transpired. 

Hermione leaned back against the wall to try to keep herself steady. This was what she wanted. A chance to explore whatever was growing between them. She didn’t seek this out when he first approached her about working together. But she couldn’t deny that it had transcended past what she had expected. She closed her eyes in an attempt to keep the room from spinning. She felt dizzy and slightly nauseous. Eyes closed she was able to take stock of her body. Her body was exhausted and stiff as if she was waking up from a deep sleep in a strained position. The arousal she was feeling earlier from the kiss had completely dissipated now. Her head hurt, probably from fallen debris. She also noticed that both of her wrists hurt. They felt sore and rubbed raw when she was positive that they weren’t hurt during all of the excitement. Opening her eyes the dark tunnels disappeared around her as her eyes squinted in adjustment to the bright light around her. The memory faded as Tobias Snape moved to stand in front of her. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always please comment and review.


	7. Chapter 7

Hermione was no stranger to the darkness

Severus admitted it on a regular basis. He was the shadows that light produced. Unsuspecting and secretive. It’s as if he was the night sky, not quite black or blue but a background for the stars to shine. The harsh contrast between a cold truth and a hopeful lie. When unleashed his demons can be vindictive and vicious. But he controls the demons instead of letting them control him. That is one word to describe Severus, he is the epitome of control. His darkness emphasizes it. His darkness surrounds me and it silences all of the noise. I am able to think clearly with him. It comforts me.

Tobias also produced darkness. It was no wonder what with who his son was. But this disturbs me. This darkness swirls in chaos. He is as sharp and cruel as the blade he uses on his victims. His mere presence makes my blood curl. He is insane and yet evasive. Catching him is like trying to hold smoke in your hand or to put lightning in a jar. It’s unstable.

Hermione woke up to find herself chained down on what she could only describe as a torture rack. She could smell the dried blood around her. Feel the rust scratching against the bare skin on her shoulders. She was still in her sleeveless shirt and jeans that she was wearing when she came home from visiting Harry and Ron. She was in some rundown warehouse. She was still hazy on where she was. Her head ached from the blow it received earlier. Looking around she jumped in surprise and tried to pull away but she found that she couldn’t. Her wrists were strapped down but her legs remained free. Tobias Snape was sitting right next to her.

He had his son’s dark hair though it was buzzed short. He had aged significantly though you wouldn’t have been able to tell from the way he walked confidently. It was clear to see that Severus inherited the aquiline nose, but that was the extent. Where Severus was tall and lanky, Tobias was bulky. But it was his eyes that were the most unnerving. Severus’s eyes were always devoid of any emotion but Tobias’s were wild and red-rimmed. They held the look of a lion about to attack its prey.

“I am curious,” Tobias said from his seat. “What is a woman like you doing with my lowlife son?”

Hermione had no response. From what Severus told her about his encounters with him. Tobias was often drunk and not coherent but right now Hermione didn’t smell a drop of alcohol on him. He appeared to have as much of a clear mind as a psychopath could. The one thing she did know about serial killers from her father was that the best thing to do was to keep them talking and not give them what they wanted. This could be applied to all dangerous offenders. When she was being tortured by Bellatrix she didn’t give it much thought but at the time she lied and delayed the inevitable as long as possible. Looking back, stalling had saved her life. Hopefully, by now Severus had gotten her message and will know that she is missing. All she had to do was stall. 

“Well then I guess this is going to be a rough start,” Tobias said after a minute of unresponsiveness. He moved out of his chair. With him out of the way, she could see a table behind him holding what looked like a dentist tray full of tools. But Hermione knew that these objects would be much larger and much more painful than any tooth cleaning tool. When Tobias came back into sight he was carrying a large jug full of what looked like water and a gag.

Coming closer he stuffed the gag into her mouth. She didn’t have a chance to protest with her mouth propped open when he began pouring the water on her face. At first, the cold water felt nice on her parched and dry throat. Then it began to burn as it quickly filled up her mouth and she couldn’t swallow the large amount continuously being poured. Choking and gasping for air when all she got was water began to make her panic. Then just as quickly as the pain came it went away when Tobias stopped pouring. 

“Shall we try this again?” Tobias asked. Hermione was too busy panting and attempting to catch her breath to focus. “No? Very Well?”

Hermione tried to take a deep breath but it was of no use. With the gag preventing her from closing her mouth, water poured in. This was what drowning felt like. It left one wondering how one died when they drowned. Is it from lack of oxygen or because a person’s lungs fill up with water? Either way is a painful way to die. But that wasn’t what Tobias was trying to accomplish here. He just wanted her to answer a simple question. 

The water was ripped away and so was the gag. Tobias seemed to be irritated by her lack of response or reaction. “For someone so smart I expected better,” he said dismally. 

Her voice was scratchy as if she screamed herself raw even though she hadn't made a sound.

“You wouldn’t understand,” Hermione spat out as she tried to soothe her throat with oxygen.

“You're in love with him?” He asked, surprised that anyone could love his son.

“I don’t expect you to understand what love is,” Hermione said breathlessly as she turned her head to look at him.

“Why because I am an unfeeling and emotionless monster?” He asked conversationally as he sat back down in his chair now that he realized she would be more cooperative. “It may surprise you. I feel quite a lot. And I am no stranger to love. I loved my wife once upon a time.”

“You killed Severus’ mother,” Hermione said, reminding him of that small detail.

“Oh, I did. And I enjoyed loving her,” He said with a Cheshire grin. “I loved her when we first met, she was strong and opinionated,” He said reminiscing. “But she wasn’t as strong as I thought she was. She started to frail and crack with time. It was beautiful how she broke and yet still lived on. It was fascinating how the human body could live when the mind had nothing to live for. She became a shell; emotionless. At least in the end.”

“You're despicable,” Hermione said in a whisper. The way he gloated and enjoyed what he had done, with no remorse. It scared her how careless he spoke. There were several moments in her life she was scared. But this was one of the few times when she truly feared for her life.

“Maybe but I do understand love. In fact, my love for my late wife showed me a whole world of possibilities,” He said joyously, expanding his arms wide. “Love for screams, and sharp new toys. There has always been a fine line between pleasure and pain. Some people like to use that fine line as a jump rope. I like to think of it as a give and take relationship. I give pain to my victims and they give me pleasure when they scream and bleed out. At the end of the day, I’m really the only one that benefits from this relationship. But I do love,” He said all of this with his eyes closed gleefully. The way his body shook in exhilaration and he licked his lips in pleasure. “Which is why I can’t seem to figure out why you would love Severus.”

“You don’t know him,” Hermione said as she twisted her arms in the shackles. The skin was getting ripped on the metal as beads of blood dripped down the sides. 

“Don’t I?” Tobias inquired. “I was his father. Well I prefer the term sperm donor but nonetheless, he shares my blood,” He said staring at Hermione intently. “He inherited my late wife’s abnormal behavior. Went to a special school for abnormalities like him and you for that matter. Joined a group of terrorists named the Death Eaters. And followed some megalomaniac called Voldemort. And someone actually allowed him to teach children? Am I forgetting anything?” He asked jokingly as If to try and deter her faith.

“He turned into a spy. He helped defeat Voldemort. He saved many lives. He is a hero," Hermione said in retribution. She knew that Severus was no saint. He had made mistakes, chosen the wrong path. But there is good in him. He fixed what was wrong. He did better when given the choice. And in the end that is all that matters to her.

“And is that before or after he killed and tortured innocent lives. At what point does your job as a spy prioritize standing on the sidelines and watching instead of saving an innocent whose blood is being. spilt. I am sure he had sleepless nights agonizing over those memories,” Tobias said mockingly. Unaware that Severus did struggle with all that he had to do. He went days without sleeping, kept up by anxiety and stress. Nights where he had woken up in a cold sweat from a memory. Some weeks he could only go on by self-medicating. Standing on the astronomy tower considering the alternative.

Hermione, herself, was there a few times when this had occurred but there were hundreds if not thousands where he was alone with just his mind.

“He changed,” Hermione stated firmly.

“Did he now,” Tobias said, musing the idea. He then proceeded to stand up. “Then what is he going to do to me when he tries to rescue you?” Tobias asked. From what she could see while lying down he connected a set of jumper cables to her metal restraints. He had it tied up to a car battery. Hermione began to squirm and tried to pull her arms away from their prisons with no success. Water torture she could handle. The feeling of drowning and gasping for air while unpleasant wasn’t the worst thing he could do to her. But this was something she wasn’t prepared for. Would it simply burn her wrist or would the current run through her entire body? Was this comparable to a muggle version of the cruciatus?

Her body contracted and her muscles spasmed. Her back arched off the table only to be pulled back down by her restraints. She screamed uncontrollably. Her voice, she would describe as strong and sweet and even modulated. It was on the far end of being low. But it also wasn’t high. But now as she screamed it seemed shrill as it pierced through the air. They must have been on the edge of town or some distance from the city otherwise there was no way that someone couldn’t hear her. To put it simply, it hurt like hell. Unlike the cruciatus which radiated throughout the body with no stop and end. This burned her wrist and spread along her veins. Once Tobias turned off the machine it left a deep ache along her spine. A painful scratch that couldn’t be scratched. She sucked in deep breaths attempting to prevent herself from giving Tobias the satisfaction of seeing her wince and groan.

“You lose Tobias,” Hermione said as her eyes watered, she bit her lip hard enough to bleed as thought of Severus going through this when he was a child. “Severus will find me and he will stop you.”

“The only way to stop me is to kill me,” Tobias stated.

“Don’t underestimate him. He will stop at nothing to see you dead,” Hermione said as tears streamed down her face. trying to scare him. But to her dismay, he only laughed.

“I’m counting on it,” He said as he turned on the battery again. Listening to her screams was quite satisfying for him.

“It’s funny no matter how far Severus runs, no matter where he hides. I will always be right there,” he said in disregard to the fact that she probably couldn’t hear him over her screams. “Lingering in the back of his mind. Every choice he makes, he will always be cautiously aware of my presence. Severus is very clever, he knows no prison can stop me from tormenting his mind. The only way he can escape me is if I die. And he is the only one capable of killing me. So at the end of the day, does he truly win if he does what I want,” he said joyously. His voice was like lyrics to his ears and her screams were the melody. “And of course there is you and your current predicament. It’s a shame that you are just the bait and your death is required otherwise I could have some real fun with you. I see what my boy sees in you. You are quite beautiful,” he said as he grazed his fingers along her face even though she flinched away. “A pity you have already been used,” Tobias said as his fingers dug deep into her left arm. His fingernails left welts with blood rising on the word _ mudblood. _

* * *

  
  


David Granger was having such a lovely day. He had just finished planting a new pot of chrysanthemums, his package of imported chocolates would be arriving in only two days and his lovely wife was attempting to make his favorite dish; lasagna. And better yet his daughter was not currently snogging her partner in front of him. He had nothing against Severus Snape, personally. Only that he dared to date his daughter.

Clearly, he spoke too soon.

He was just getting situated on the couch when a knock came from the door. Begrudgingly he stood up and made his way to the door knowing that Helena wouldn’t have heard it from the kitchen. Opening the door to see Severus Snape was a surprise. He didn’t expect to see his daughter’s suitor here especially so soon after his last visit. His last being the first time Hermione introduced him to the entire family. It was obvious from the first time that he met him that socializing was not his strong suit. So him standing at his front door with his daughter nowhere in sight gave him an eerie feeling.

He was standing tall and looked menacing.  _ And it was all going so well  _ David thought as he looked at the man in front of him.

“Whatcha doing here Snape?” David asked unapologetic for his tone.

“Are you alone?” Severus inquired in a no-nonsense tone.

“Helena’s in the kitchen.”

“Is there somewhere we can talk alone?” Severus asked, his voice though dry was in a whisper.

“Let’s head to the backyard,” David said as he led Severus through the house.

“Hello Severus, what brings you here?” Helena asked as she stirred a pot on the stove. There was an island in the middle of the floor in the kitchen. The counters were left in their natural raw state. While the cabinets were painted white.

“Just needed a word with David,” Severus explained. His voice giving off the appearance that he meant business. They continued until they were out of her sight.  _ Men, _ Helena thought. You just couldn’t understand them half of the time and the other half you probably don’t want to.

“What’s this about?” David asked once they made their way outside. The backyard was surrounded by a picket white fence. They were standing under a canopy that extended from the house. It created a shade over them and the grass they were standing on. On either side of the men, there were pots of flowers that have died from the cold. A thin layer of snowy ice covered patches of grass.

“My father is in town. And he has Hermione,” Severus said straight to the point. 

He remembered how he had come to this moment. The house was in pristine condition, just as he had left it this morning. He was annoyed, to say the least. He had just retired after several hours of being badgered by Lucius Malfoy. It was exhausting to deal with his enthusiasm on a good day. But since all he wanted was to be with Hermione he was quite over Lucious’s antics. After a few glasses of Brandy Severus was finally able to make his mistake. Coming home to find the house empty was no surprise. He knew that Hermione was more than likely to still be out with her friends. 

But something didn’t feel right.

He took his wand out and walked around the house on guard. Nobody was there and there was no sign of a disturbance and yet something in his gut turned and made him feel as though something was very wrong. He hadn’t survived as long as he has by not listening to his instincts.

He took out his phone to contact Hermione only to find that she had left him a message. Holding it close to his ear he began to listen to her voice. “Severus it’s me,” Hermione said. The sound of her voice made his blood turn cold. “Contact me as soon as you can, I just got back to your house.” Severus began pacing as he listened to Hermione’s voice. Hermione sighed into her phone and the anxiety was obvious in her voice. “He’s here. Tobias is here in London.”

Severus pulled the phone away from him slowly as shock and dread coursed through him. Then rage began to bubble at the thought that Tobias was about to ruin everything he had managed to build. He threw his phone at the wall. The resulting crash echoed throughout the silence. Landing on the ground it scattered in hundreds of pieces. His breath got caught in his throat, he knelt towards the debris of his broken phone and lifted up a photograph that had not been there when he left. He never owned any pictures anyway. 

It was a black and white muggle photo of Hermione. She looked as though she was at a local market. Her hair down in curls around her, blown out of her face from the wind. She was wearing a sleeveless shirt as she was talking to a seller. It was a nice photo of her but only one thought ran through his head.

_ Tobias had Hermione. _

After the moment of realization, Severus knew he had to react quickly. Normally he would go alone and confront Tobias directly. However, Tobias would be expecting that. Anyone else would go to the Aurors or even the muggle police. But they are ill-equipped to deal with a man like Tobias. It would be a slaughter and Hermione most likely would be caught in the crossfire. More so than she already was. This led him to Hermione’s parents' house in search of the only other man he knew who had survived his father.

It took a moment for David to realize what he had just said due to the calmness in his voice. “What? How can you be sure?” David asked determinedly. 

“Hermione called to inform me and now she is missing. And this was found at my house,” Severus said as he pulled out the photograph he found at his house. The one of Hermione. Flipping it over instead of a blank back David found an address written.

“He is baiting you,” David observed.

“Yes,” Severus said, stating that he too had come to that conclusion.

“What are you going to do?” David asked worried over his daughter not wanting her to get hurt in the crossfire.

“I have a plan but you are the only other person I know who knows what he is capable of. I could use your assistance,” Severus begrudgingly admitted. 

“You want to spring the trap,” David said. His tone shifted from overprotective to detective. 

“Yes,” Severus said. It was apparent from his stance and demeanor that this was Professor Snape speaking. The man that was feared and oozed intimidation. The man that managed to fool one of the greatest evil wizards in the wizarding world of his allegiances. The same man who has experienced the power of the dark arts and has killed. 

“Well, what are we waiting for?” 

Helena was finishing up some tomato sauce when she saw Severus and her husband make their way back into the house. Only stopping long enough for David to put on his coat. “What are you two up to,” she asked as it became apparent that the two were heading out together. 

This caused David to look back at her as if he had forgotten she was even here. “Just some father-son bonding,” David said with a determined look on his face. She couldn’t tell if he was being serious or not.

“Where are you going?” Helena asked, wondering what on earth the pair could be up to.

The two briefly glanced at each other before turning back to her and said in unison.

“Hunting”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was my first time writing a torture/suspense scene in comparison to my normal drama/romance ones. Let me know how this chapter compares to the others.


	8. Chapter 8

When walking to the location that was inscribed on the photo, Severus had been filled with a sense of dread. More intense and anxiety-ridden than he felt when he was summoned by Voldemort the first time after his resurrection. When summoned he always had to be quick and clever. When he attended a meeting he always had to be cautious and aware of his surroundings. Expect pain every time he hid behind the mask. No matter what happened to him and no matter who he bowed to he had to remain in control. Say the right thing and hope to be punished lightly while still escaping with his life. To say thank you, my lord, after being hit with the cruciatus. This was different, this time it wasn’t his life at stake. 

When Severus entered the warehouse he tried to mentally prepare himself for the worst. He figured that Tobias would have kept Hermione alive so that he could kill her in front of him. But there was a possibility he was wrong, that he would have left her body for him to find. At least one thing he predicted his father to do, he did. He created a boundary around the building. Hired some wizards to draw protective wards around the compound. Wards that blocked the use of magic, similar to those that prevent apparating. He figured that his wand would be useless in this confrontation but he had brought it along just as a precaution. Tobias wasn’t in the main compound where he set up his entertainment. 

It was unfair, Severus thought. She wasn't supposed to get involved. She had nothing to do with his plight against his father. A never-ending war between the two of them. She was just a bystander. And now a casualty of war. And he knew right from the beginning that this would happen. He knew and he would be lying if he said otherwise. He should have fought harder to avoid her. He should have recognized the signs. He had been in love before, though it was different with her, his feelings much stronger. Falling in love with her was out of his control. But he chose to involve her in this the moment he kissed her. In all honesty as a man as intelligent as himself, he knew the best course of action would have been to have left her. To have walked away and to never look back. But he was selfish. Selfish for thinking that she could be safe with him. Instead, she was here tied to a table by his own father.

Taking stock of her she appeared to be unconscious. Though her breaths were shallow with the rising and falling of her chest. Her curly hair was damp while it laid spread around her head. There was dried blood along the side of her head. Her clothes remained intact to Severus’ silent relief. Her hands were bound and chained to the table. Metal cuffs restrained her. Her skin was ripped into ribbons from the restraints. There were spots of blood on her skin as well as various bruises. A stark contrast to her fair skin. Severus was past the point of anger. Looking at her he only felt sadness and despair. Looking around to ensure Tobias wasn’t present at the moment he began to pick the locks on her chains. A skill he luckily required over the years. Magic was a tool that wizards relied on. And sometimes they forget that there are other tools at their disposal, which they often shrug off as muggle antics. It didn’t take long before they released her. Moving up to her face he covered her mouth with a hand. Her eyes immediately shot open. She began to pan and thrash against him. 

“It’s me,” Severus said quietly and calmly. “You're okay,” he said, his voice soothing her with every word. Realization set in as her eyes and body relaxed. “Just breathe.” She closed her eyes as his words washed over in a healing balm. “I’ve got you.”

Looking back around, he began to move his hand under her and helped her to sit up. It was difficult to pull herself into a sitting position as her body was unwilling to cooperate. Severus guided her upright slowly. There was no easy way to do it without causing her pain. Her eyes had dropped and her hands were involuntarily shaking. “We're going to get out of here,” He said as he looked into her eyes, conveying his reassurance and promise. With her, on the table, they were the same height. She could directly see his sincerity. And she nodded slightly in agreement.

She whimpered when he helped her stand. No doubt her body screaming in protest. While unsteady on her feet, Severus’ hands held onto her waist, keeping her upright. She most likely had a concussion and if it wasn’t for Severus she probably would have passed out by now. Once he was sure she could stand Severus turned them to leave when he heard a pair of footsteps approaching. With Hermione’s condition and the anti-magic wards, there was no way they could escape without a confrontation.

“Tobias,” Severus said as his father approached them. He was just as he remembered. Even though he hadn’t seen him for many years. He was large and cruel. His cruelness was still apparent in his eyes. Even though he would be well into his 70’s by now he didn’t show signs of his age. No limpness or slowness in his stride.

Boy,” Tobias spatted in greeting. He rarely ever called him by his given name. Only when he referred to him in the presence of others. He always chose to call him something of inferiority; boy, bastard. Sometimes even son to mock him. Hermione was wobbly on her feet as she leaned heavily on Severus. His grip was strong on her as he assured her silently that he had her.

“I see that you’ve found your lost pet. A shame she is a little beaten down since you’ve last seen her,” Tobias said while jeering. “Luckily she is still alive.”

“No doubt to your displeasure.”

“Not at all, we were having quite a lot of fun weren’t we, my dear,” Tobias taunted, with a menacing grin.

“We have very different ideas of fun,” Hermione spat. She tried to mask her fear with anger.

“Most likely. Is this the part where you ask me to let her go?”

“Would you actually let her go if I asked?” Severus asked as Tobias walked closer to the pair. They only stood a few meters from each other. Severus couldn’t help but tighten his arm around Hermione. Not for protection but to offer her a form of comfort.

“No. but I was curious to see if you would beg for her life.”

“Is that what you want?” Severus asked, trying to move the game along. It was the same routine, the two always played. One edging the other on until Tobias snapped.

“No,” Tobias said before he changed his mind. “Well since you mentioned it. I would like to see it. Beg me to spare her life.” Tobias decided. “Go on, give me a show. 

“Spare her,” Severus said simply. He spoke in a monotone voice not wanting to give away how much he truly wants him to do as he asks. 

“Oh come on you can do better than that.”

“I beg of you, let her go. She has nothing to do with this,” Severus said pleadingly. It was unusual for him to beg. Let alone for someone to hear him. Especially since it lacked the emotion one would think that a man begging for his lover to be spared would have. But he knew that Tobias was just toying with him. He wanted him to try since he knew that nothing he could say would make him let her go.

“Better, now tell me why,” Tobias commanded, enjoying how he still held power over his son even after so many years. 

“Because I love her.”

“You love her, why?” He asked mockingly. “I mean she is pretty but plain. There are others with much more to offer in ways of looks. Plus she has been blemished, I mean I doubt she got that scar from a car accident. Someone laid a hand on her, who knows where else those hands have been. Sure she is smart but I mean how much of that is real and how much is an act. Oh, don’t tell me that she is your way of redeeming yourself. Or maybe she is just a consolation prize. So tell me before I decide which one of you to kill first. Why do you love her?”

Turning away from his father he looked at the woman he loved. He never wanted to have to say this. He never thought that if he ever did it would be during a situation like this. But looking into Hermione’s eyes. Her eyes were confused by his lack of response. He could tell that she was confused why he simply didn’t lie. She wasn’t expecting the truth. She didn’t dare hope for an answer. He decided that despite the moment he wanted to answer. Not for Tobias. Not even for Hermione. He wanted to say this for himself. He didn’t want to never have the possibility to say it at all. “I kept my head down and walked a straight and narrow path before you. You showed me how much better the view is with my head raised,” He said as the words flowed through him. He had given the idea some thought before now. “I thought that all that was left in this world was shadows. You taught me to see the colour. I tried to run and you walked beside me. You told me that the world forgave me. And I began to forgive myself. You told me that everyone deserves to be loved. All I wanted was to have yours. You told me that it was okay to be happy. And I became happy with you.” He saw his reflection in her watery eyes. He could feel a tear slip down his cheek as he opened up his heart. Staring into one another, they were reminded of all of the unspoken moments between them where they let the silence sing their love.  
  
“That was quite a performance. I almost believed that you were capable of loving her,” Tobias said, clapping while Hermione and Severus remained with their eyes locked onto the other. “But you see we are quite alike you and I. More than just blood. I understand you. Just as you understand me and the rules of our game. Which is why you are cooperating as of right now hoping to get the better of me which you know you won't succeed. Or maybe you will. Maybe the two of you will leave here unscratched. Well without further damage.” Tobias said as he gestured to Hermione who had drops of blood on the ground where she stood. Or perhaps you will sacrifice yourself and she will live. Or I just kill you both. Are you willing to take that risk?”

“Are you?” Severus asked as his words sounded like a whip silencing the air. Then without looking at her he said, “Hermione you are going to turn around and walk away. And you aren’t going to look back.” He said this confidently, sure that Tobias wouldn’t interfere. 

“No,” Hermione said firmly. She wasn’t about to leave him. If she left he would be alone with Tobias. The only reason he was even here in this mess was because Tobias had gotten the best of her.

“Interesting choice,” Tobias said as he considered his son’s words. He watched as the two fought back and forth. Fascinated by their dynamics and this woman's undeniable loyalty to his son.

“You are going to leave,” Severus said as he looked at her.

“Severus I won’t,” She said shaking her head in denial. Her eyes were watering for a different reason this time. 

“Hermione you won’t look back,” He said calmly. This wasn’t Professor Snape ordering a student to return to their dorms after being out past curfew. This was Severus pleading with her. Pleading with her that she can’t be in the way. That she couldn’t help him, not this time. “It’s okay,” he said, cupping her face gently with one hand as his thumb stroked her cheek. “This is between him and me.”

Slowly she turned with his guidance and began to walk away. Tears streamed down her face. She wanted to look back at him. To turn and see his face. But she needed to believe in him and that this wasn’t a goodbye. That he had a plan and she was going to see him again. To be able to wake up and see how relaxed he was when he was sleeping. The amused half-grin he had when he was happy. The way he smirked when he teased her. The way he made potions with such care and precision. The same way he held her. To be able to tell him she loves him but more importantly to show him that for all of eternity. She trusted him and she had to trust that he saw their future too. That what he was doing was all in order to achieve it.

“It was, Tobias, said with a thoughtful nod “But you involved her.” Suddenly he pulled out a gun from the back of his pants and aimed at Hermione. Before Severus could act a gunshot echoed as his finger pulled the trigger.

* * *

  
A dead flower without a hint of life.  
For as the hour draws near,  
the curtain closes.  
You once promised me forever.  
A day, a moment, a lifetime,  
wasted,  
Dearly departed.

A dead flower without a hint of life  
This will be the last you hear from me,  
gone into the night.  
The darkness descends  
scarred.  
A flickering candle on the table,  
a once scarlet body is all that remains

* * *

Nobody screamed when the gunshot rang out.

It didn’t happen like in the movies where the main character falls in slow motion while the love interest screams in agony. Hermione simply dropped to the floor in a pile of weightless limbs. Blood pooling from her abdomen. She was unconscious but still breathing.

Severus barely registered that Tobias was lying on the ground a few feet away from them. His eyes open, cold; as life fleets from them. The blood was already starting to pool around him from the gunshot in his forehead. Thankfully, the moment Tobias died, whatever wards he was able to enlist to protect him died with him.

When he reached her fallen body he was relieved. Relieved to find that she still had a pulse. But now while sitting by her bedside at St. Mungo's he was scared. She laid in a bed in a simple white gown with a simple sheet covering her. The blood was removed from her skin and her bruises had decreased in size and discoloration. But she would have scars from the encounter. People had come and gone including her mother and father. The only interaction he had with them was when David Granger put his hand on his shoulder and said that they did all that they could. And he couldn’t help but agree. The plan worked. Hermione was rescued and Tobias was dead. A 40 year long waking nightmare was over and yet he still didn’t feel any better. He was sure that Potter and Weasley were here. He had seen Auror Potter and Tonks-Lupin arrive no doubt to investigate what had happened. He didn’t talk to them. Simply letting Hermione’s father interact with them. He was sure they had questions for him. But he was in no mood to answer them. Especially since they would ask why he was here with Hermione. She hadn't woken up yet. She had lost a lot of blood despite his haste to apparate her to the Hospital. Her previous injuries sustained from Tobias were preventing her body from healing properly. Especially since it wasn’t even five years ago that she was tortured by Bellatrix. Her body always carried a mark from Malfoy Manor and in a way it would always leave an impression on her. They believed that once she woke up that she would make a full recovery. But it was only a matter of her waking up at all.   
  
When you are dying supposedly you see your life flash before your eyes. Severus wasn't sure if that was true or not, since he wasn't the one dyeing. And yet while looking at Hermione’s pale face as she lays unconscious he couldn’t help but think about all of the missed opportunities he had when he should have told her he loved her.   
  
The first time she smiled at him, he knew he was a goner. She always was pretty in a simplistic way, it was her wild hair that gave her an exotic look. But when she smiled she looked utterly enchanting. Her smile shined brightly and held the warmth of the sun. It gave him the feeling of standing on a beach as the waves crashed while the sun setted. He knew that she was sought after by both males and females in the wizarding well. He was also aware on an intellectual level that she was moderately attractive. But it was when she smiled that he truly saw her beauty. What surprised him was that she wasn’t smiling at him, she was smiling because of him. The thought that he could be the cause of something so extraordinary good, surprised him. He should have recognized the signs. He wasn’t like most people who experience a flutter in their stomachs when they begin to develop a strong affection for someone. He grew comfortable with them, relaxed. There was no sign of anxiety or paranoia when he was with her. He should have realized that this was not something he could simply sweep aside and pretend like it never happened. Especially when he grew confident in his words as he spoke to her. Challenging her and teasing her. Engaging in friendly banter. With anyone else, he would never indulge in such flirtations. But with her he did. He should have told her he was falling in love with her. He should have warned her.  
  
When he kissed her in the tunnels, he was unprepared. How the simple toughing of their lips would release a floodgate of emotions within him. He was also surprised at how quickly he became aroused by a single kiss. He knew that he loved her or what he was feeling was close enough to love that it was distinguishable from a passing fancy. The way she kissed him back excited him but also scared him. Whenever his thoughts turned to her he never thought that she would return his feelings. But she surprised him. And when she agreed to go on a date with him he had to walk away so that he wouldn’t embarrass himself from the way his mouth curled into a smile.  
  
He wished he could have said it back. When Hermione first told him she loved him, he wished he could have told her those words. He wanted to. He felt that way about her. But for some reason, he couldn’t say them. Maybe it was because of his horrible upbringing, maybe it was because he never said them to anyone before. Or maybe it was because no one has ever said them to him. Over 40 years old and no one has ever loved him or expressed love for him. And dammit he was scared. Scared that he would still find a way to mess everything up. To lose something great that has developed between them. Three little words that she could easily say. But to him, it was impossible to pronounce. So instead he kissed her and hoped that she understood his message behind the kiss.  
  
He was terrified that he had pushed her too far and that she would leave him. They were fighting. It wasn’t like a simple argument or a challenging debate. They were furious at one another. Looking back he was the one that started it. He shouldn’t have tested her patience and she shouldn't have lost her temper. When they started to yell, he thought that it was over that she was going to say she was tired and done putting up with him. He wouldn’t have blamed her if she did. He was a difficult man to get along with. But somehow she managed just fine, for the most part. In his panic to prevent her from saying those dreadful words, he kissed her, hard. Mostly to shut her up. But that kiss spiralled the pair into trying to gain dominance with their bodies instead of words. To put it simply they fucked. Hard. He had scratches along his back, and she had bruises along her throat and waist. Both of their lips were bleeding from biting. Once they collapsed into a bed and caught their breath, they were able to calmly discuss what had happened. Their words in anger reached no solution. The sex while it too didn’t solve their problems it did allow for a ceasefire. He should have told her how even though at the moment he was angry with her he still loved her. Even if she did leave that he wouldn’t have stopped her. It wouldn’t have mattered because he would have still loved her no matter what.   
  
The first time he told her he loved her it was purely accidental, but it had felt right in the moment. He has always been a man of few words. At least the ones that truly mattered. It didn’t surprise her when he said it. He was sure that she was able to figure it out by now due to his actions. But the way she gave him a small smile made him want to say it all over again. Just to see the way her face lit up in joy. And now that might have been the last time he had told her. Even in the warehouse, he didn’t tell her he loved her. He told Tobias. And that quite frankly wasn’t the same.   
  
But none of that mattered now when her blood was on his hands.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me know if you enjoyed this chapter. How it fit in in with the rest of the story. I admit I really struggled writing it but I hope you couldn't tell by the writing compared to the other chapters.
> 
> Please Review and Comment


	9. Epilogue

A blinding white light. That was all she could see when she woke up. Hermione figured death wouldn’t look so empty. It wasn't until her eyes started to see shapes and color that the thought occurred to her that she might not have been dead. She realized she was in a hospital bed. Since she wasn’t hooked up to any machines or IV drips she realized that she was in St. Mungos instead of a muggle hospital. When taking stock of herself she felt pretty good. Sore and stiff but not in agonizing pain. Especially when she expected that the reason her stomach hurt was from being shot. Her hands could feel the smooth fabric of the bedsheet and when moving her wrists ached. Her mind flashed back to cold metal cuffs rubbing her wrists as she pulled at the restraints. Turning her head to the side she saw Harry Potter sitting beside her bed.

“Harry?” Hermione was surprised to see him. She almost expected Tobias to be sitting there.

“Hey, glad to see that you are finally awake,” He said as he sat upright in the chair.

“What happened?” Hermione asked as her mind was still a little bit fuzzy.

“What do you remember?”

“I…” Hermione trailed off as she remembered going to Severus’ house. The phone call then being strapped to a table. She remembered pain and the feeling of hope. She felt hope when she saw Severus. Severus! Quickly looking around the room she found him slumped over in a chair in the corner of the room. He was sleeping with his head propped up on his hand. He didn’t seem to be injured. But with him, you couldn’t tell half the time. He was very skilled at hiding it. Looking at him, she couldn’t help but feel relieved. Even in this state, he had this effect on her in which she couldn’t help but feel safe.

“He’s asleep,” Harry said, interrupting her thoughts. Hasn’t left your side ever since he brought you here three days ago.”

“Harry, I can explain,” Hermione said as she tried to placate her friend. She knew that it must seem odd for Severus to be here and that he must have had hundreds of questions. Not only as an Auror but as a friend. She took a breath in order to prepare herself for the yelling and disappointment she was expecting to hear.

“You don’t have to,” He said calmly before she worked herself into a fit. “After we found out that you were admitted here, your parents, they explained everything.” Of course, her parents must have been worried when they found out what happened to her. They might have been the only people Severus would have talked to. He was probably the one to get them in the first place. Merlin, Hermione thought, that must have been a headache for them. They weren’t supposed to be the ones to reveal the fact that she is in a relationship with Severus Snape. She suddenly felt guilty for what she put them through, even though she couldn’t help but feel relieved that she didn’t have to be the one to come out and say it. 

“I’m so sorry,” Hermione began. Knowing how bad it must have been for him to find out about her and Severus. Especially from someone other than her.

“Don’t be. I’m not angry,” Harry said calmly. 

“I kept this from you though.”

“And I understand why. You had to make sure that Tobias didn’t know about you.” Tobias's cold dead eyes flashed into her head. She wondered who killed him? if he really was dead. Harry probably played the Auror card to get Severus to tell him about Tobias. She wondered if he even mentioned that he was his father or simply a serial killer with whom Severus crossed paths.

“Who else knows?” Hermione asked curiously. Wondering what kind of damage control she would have to do once she was hopefully out of here. She’d rather not have this conversation taking place while she is restricted to a Hospital bed on a Healer’s order.

“Literally everyone,” Harry said sheepishly.

“What?”

“Snape was the one who brought you in. The healers were shocked when he carried you in. His reputation is well known here. Apparently, he does some contract brewing here which I’m sure you already knew about.” Hermione couldn’t help but nod as she followed along with his story.

I came as soon as I found out, the head Auror correctly figured that I would want to work this case. Tonks came along with me. Obviously, Snape brought your parents here and that raised some questions when the others came.” Hermione couldn’t help but feel queasy as he began to list all of their friends. “The Weasley’s showed up and Dumbledore came as well. Lupin and Teddy also stopped by as well at one point. In a few short hours, most of the order was here. When night came and we all went back to Grimmauld, Molly started asking questions on how this had happened and well Ron wanted to know why Snape was there and why your parents were fine with him staying with you for the night. And I guess you could say we were all quite shocked when your parents told us everything,” Harry said calmly as recapped the hectic last few days. 

“That’s all you guys felt when you found out about my relationship with Severus?” Hermione asked. Worried about how well they took the news. This wasn’t something her friends would have calmly accepted. Let alone that she was keeping secrets from them for months. They should have been furious at her. Especially Harry. He had enough people keeping secrets from him during his life, she didn’t want to be another but Severus happened. 

“Well, Ron and some of the Weasleys were about to go on a rampage and murder him. Lupin was surprised. Ginny was grinning like a Cheshire cat. And Dumbledore just had that twinkle in his eyes.”

“And you?” Hermione asked hesitantly. Afraid of his answer.

“Well it was quite a shock when I found out about the two of you six months ago,” Harry said brazenly with a grin on his face.

“Yea, I bet… wait what?” Hermione asked once she realized what he had said. He knew about her and Severus? How? For how long? And why in the blazes didn’t he ever say anything. “You knew. How could you possibly have known?” She asked when she realized that she needed to vocalize her inner panic.

“I saw that something was up with you. I noticed that you seemed on edge more so than your usual stress. You were being cautious in what you said to us. So I got worried and I may have followed you one time,” He said as his cheeks flushed pink.

“You followed me!” Hermione said in astonishment. She should have been more surprised but Harry always did have a nact of going to the extreme.

“As one of your best friends I was concerned,” Harry defended. “But anyways I followed you and saw you meet up with Snape. And I saw how happy you were with him. I didn’t hear any of what you guys were speaking about. I just saw how you smiled and your eyes lit up. I left as soon as I saw the two of you kiss. That was enough for one night. Or a lifetime.” He said with a mock shiver.

“Why didn’t you confront me?” Hermione asked

“I figured you would tell us when you were ready.” 

“I’m sorry,” Hermione said after a moment of silence. This was a lot to process.

“Me too. I figured that Tobias wasn't the only reason why you didn’t tell anyone else or at least me.” Then Harry sighed in resignation. “Now I know why.” Harry and Hermione were always close; they were the siblings they never had. Their relationship dynamic was different compared to their one’s with Ron, but as equally needed. Just different circumstances called for different friends. Hemione and Harry always told each other everything. And those they didn’t say they could always figure out from reading each other. Harry could see the hint of fear in her eyes when she asked how everyone reacted to her relationship. He simplified it for her benefit. In reality, there was a lot more yelling and screaming. Some restraining as well. It got out of hand to the point where some people drew wands to confront Snape. Harry and her parents had to talk everyone down. But right now she didn’t need to worry about that. “Don’t worry everything will be alright. Get some more sleep,” Harry said leaving her to her thoughts.

“I think Potter has finally grown up,” Severus said as he stood up and made his way to her.

“Severus,” Hermione said in relief, as she tried to sit up. He was probably awake the whole time. Refusing to sleep until he could talk to her. He always was a stubborn man.

“Don’t get up,” He said, halting her process. He sat on the edge of her bed.

“How are you?” She asked.

“It amazes me that even when you are the one in the hospital bed you are worried about my well-being,” He said with a drawl, a small smile formed as he mused at her antics.

“That didn’t answer my question.”

“You are the only one physically injured,” Severus said honestly as he looked at her reassuringly. It didn’t escape either of them that he neglected to mention his current mental state.

“I don’t understand what happened,” Hermione said as she tried to piece together parts of her memory. Some parts were as clear as day while others were blurry.

“What do you remember?” Severus asked seriously.

“Tobias is dead,” Hermione stated.

“Yes, he is,” Severus said in a monotone voice.

“How? You were right beside me the whole time. And he was shot,” Hermione asked confused. When she fell after he shot her she briefly saw him on the ground in front of her before she passed out.

“Yes, it appears he was shot from a long distance with a sniper rifle on the roof of another building,” Severus said calmly as if that explained everything.

“Who?”

“The Aurors aren’t sure. And since you were the victim despite my father being a muggle this is an official Auror case. The muggles will not be looking into this. Unfortunately, I doubt that anyone is going to really look into this mysterious shooter. I certainly will not be pressing the issue,” Severus said blazingly and refused to make eye contact with her when he said this. Hermione knew that him not looking at her meant he was keeping something from her. She just couldn’t figure out what that could be. “I guess you could say that you got really lucky. Or perhaps a guardian angel out there somewhere. You should have seen your father when you were admitted here. He was quite relieved that you would be just fine.” Severus said this with a gleam in his eyes. He didn’t come out and say it but Hermione could read between the lines and knew exactly what he was omitting. Her father used to be a sniper in the military. It was probably best if he didn’t come out and say that her father killed a man. It left her with plausible deniability if asked. “Remus took them home a few hours ago but they will be back in the morning.”

“You amaze me sometimes,” Hermione said in awe of Severus. Tobias set a trap for him, and he tripped it perfectly. The only thing Tobias didn’t expect was for Severus to ask for help. Who knew Severus could be so cunning. Hopefully, this means her father has finally accepted Severus as a part of her life. He returned her smile before his face turned grim and he appeared hesitant.

“I’m…” Severus said as he searched for words. In the meantime, Hermione moved her hand to his and laced her fingers with his.

“It’s okay. I knew what I was signing up for,” Hermione said as she placated him. 

“This shouldn’t have happened,” He stated.

“Maybe but then it would have happened to you. And that would have been far worse,” Hermione said unwaveringly. “Just tell me what you said back in the warehouse. Did you mean it?” Hermione asked almost shyly.

“Every word,” Severus said without any hesitation. His words were strong in their truth.

“Then I will be just fine,” Hermione said as they held hands.

* * *

  
  


It only took a couple of weeks for things to be okay between Hermione and Severus. Hermione had to heal physically and mentally from her time held by Tobias. While Severus had to get over his guilt. He felt guilty over Hermione getting tortured and involving her in his mess. No matter how many times she said she didn’t blame him. He still blamed himself. He also had to get over his fear of Tobias who was no longer a threat. 

Luckily it didn’t take him too long to sulk over his deceased father. He made his peace with what Tobias did to him decades ago. And celebrated his father’s death with a drink and once Hermione was fully healed good sex. They also decided to move into a house together. The one Severus had, lost its appeal with the knowledge that it was broken into and Hermione was taken from what was supposed to be a safe place. Hermione ended her lease and moved out of her apartment. She only kept it for a front so her friends didn’t know and for when she wanted some alone time. And Severus held no sentiment towards his house. He felt that like the house he involved Hermione in his life instead of working to build a life with her. So they decided to buy one together. Repairs didn’t take long on their house in Dover and soon they moved in.

It laid on the edge of town and sat on a cliff overlooking the ocean. A winding stone path led to the three-story house. There was an indoor greenhouse on the main floor in opposition to the kitchen and living room. Hermione had her own private study while Severus’ lab remained in the basement. Their library was built in what once was the attic of the house. Six bookshelves of the height of the roof were already completely filled. While two more awaited to be. Guests were rare at the house but not completely unwanted. But it was a given that anyone who came over had to send a message ahead. Ginny was the most frequent visitor with the Lupin-Tonks a close second. Even Harry and Ron have stopped by a few times while Severus was home.

They were in a good place now. But they had hit a few bumps along the way.

They had an awkward phase where their relationship transferred from a private atmosphere to a public one. Nothing was preventing them from walking hand in hand in Diagon Alley. But quite frankly that was quite uncharacteristic of both of them. In the last few months, they had made the effort to go out for a date on more than one occasion. They have gone to a few restaurants, the library, a museum or two and even stopped by Hogwarts together; where a curious Headmaster had some serious questions for them. They established a nice middle path that worked for them.

It took a while for her friends to be comfortable with her relationship but despite her fears, they accepted it even though they didn’t fully approve of Severus. Harry was fully accepting of them, but it took Ron a little while to get around the idea of them together. As well as with some of the Weasleys. It was easier when they didn’t see him. But they were at a point where they were comfortable with her bringing him up in conversation. Ginny didn’t care in the slightest as long as she got all of the gritty details. The Lupin-Tonks were supportive. Dumbledore was attempting to become their biggest fan and was on the path of turning McGonagall onto their side. Hermione wasn’t sure how the Malfoy’s reacted. All she knew was that when Severus came home from meeting them the first thing he did was grab something to drink and headed outside to smoke. 

But after a few months, life had settled into a routine. The only exceptions being tonight's Order Christmas party. The whole lot was gathered. Potter volunteered Grimmauld Place for the party, a yearly task he just couldn’t resist. Molly was busy preparing a lovely feast. Ginny was seated somewhere complaining over not being able to fully participate due to her eight-month pregnant stomach getting in the way. Tonks was attempting to get Remus to dance with her to some awful Christmas music. The twins were doing the same with McGonagall. Hermione was discussing some new Goblin laws with Bill while Severus stood across the room. This was where Dumbledore approached him. Together they stood and watched as Hermione tilted her head back in laughter. 

“You did well my boy,” Albus said. He wasn’t referring to him dating a wonderful woman like Hermione Granger. No, he was referring to him finding happiness. A task that she seemed near impossible over the past two decades.

“Did you ever doubt me?” Severus inquired with an arched brow.

“Yes, especially with you taking so long. But it seems to be worth the wait.”

“Indeed it was,” Severus said as he caught Hermione’s eye from across the room. “Excuse me, there is another whose company I would like to attend to,” Severus said as notice Bill Weasley leave to find his wife. Then he made his way over to her side. She smiled when he approached. The way her face still lit up in glee when she saw him made his heart pound in excitement. 

“May I have this dance,” He asked with his hand outstretched. 

Hermione bit her lip while it was curled upwards before she said “I would love nothing more.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for everyone who has followed this story. This was my first complete original story that wasn't a reading the books prompt. I unfortunately do not own the character or the magical world that credit goes to J.K Rowling.
> 
> Please comment and review.


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